Taiwanese opposition leader Cheng Li-wun said she hoped to make the Taiwan Strait “safe” and not one of the world’s “most dangerous places” as she left for Shanghai on Tuesday.
Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng is leading a 14-member delegation – including three KMT vice-chairmen – on a six-day visit to mainland China.
A planned meeting with Communist Party leader Xi Jinping during the trip has drawn scrutiny in Taipei as tensions soar across the strait.
Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party raised concerns over what would be discussed and warned the KMT’s exchanges with Beijing could not be monitored.
Premier Cho Jung-tai called for greater scrutiny of politically influential figures dealing with the Communist Party.
But Cheng, speaking ahead of her departure, called the visit a “journey of peace” and said both sides of the Taiwan Strait should seek dialogue and communication to resolve their differences.
