Xi Jinping Congratulates New KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun on Election Victory

TaiwanPlus News

Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated former legislator Cheng Li-wun on being elected chair of the Kuomintang (KMT) in a race she won with just over 50 percent of the vote. Cheng left the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2000 and joined the KMT in 2005, and has served as a legislator and Cabinet spokesperson. In her victory speech, she urged unity, called for better relations with China and said the KMT should act as a peacemaker in the region. She takes the chair on November 1. The DPP said it hopes the KMT will put national security above politics and alleged Beijing interfered in the chair election, which the KMT and Cheng deny.

Transcript

00:00The main opposition, Kuomintang, has officially selected its new leader.

00:16Former legislator Zheng Liwen won the KMT chair election on Saturday.

00:21She took the lead early once polls opened, easily claiming victory with just over 50%

00:26of the vote, with former Taipei mayor Hao Longbin taking second place, and KMT Legislative Caucus

00:32Secretary General Luo Zhiqiang in third. Voter turnout was about 40%.

00:37Both Hao and Luo congratulated Zheng on her victory, and called for party unity.

00:42Zheng's win represents a remarkable political 180. Formerly a member of the ruling DPP,

00:48or Democratic Progressive Party, she left in early 2000, joining the KMT in 2005.

00:54While in the KMT, she served as a legislator and cabinet spokesperson.

00:58Her election makes her only the second woman ever to lead the party.

01:02Throughout her campaign, Zheng advocated for stronger ties with China.

01:06During her victory speech, she laid out what she called the party's three big principles.

01:11First, we can't let Taiwan become a criminal creator.

01:18Second, we can't let Taiwan become a criminal creator.

01:25Third, the Chinese government will be responsible for a criminal creator to be a criminal creator.

01:34She also set her sights on the DPP, saying it should not use animosity toward China as a political tool.

01:44This comes at a time when China has been ramping up military aggression

02:10around Taiwan to assert its claim of sovereignty over the country.

02:14The DPP released a statement on Zheng's victory, saying that it hopes the KMT can put Taiwan's

02:19interests above politics and prioritize national security issues. The ruling party also alleged

02:25Beijing had interfered in the chair race, a charge Zheng rejects.

02:29On Sunday afternoon, the KMT said that Chinese President Xi Jinping himself sent a congratulatory

02:36message to Zheng, and the party had issued a reply to Xi. Both sides called for deeper cross-strait

02:42exchanges based on upholding the so-called 1992 consensus and opposition to Taiwan independence.

02:49With Zheng stepping up to chair the KMT on November 1, many are viewing it as a new beginning for the

02:54party. Kline Wong, Leslie Liao, and Chris Gorin for Taiwan Plus.

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