TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Taiwan People’s Party Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) will meet in New Taipei City on Nov. 19 to discuss prospects for cooperation in the 2026 local elections.

TPP Spokesperson Chen Chih-han (陳智菡) said the meeting will focus on broad strategic issues, including which municipalities the two parties may coordinate in, rather than detailed arrangements, per Tai Sounds. She added that the party leaders will also establish points of contact to support ongoing cooperation.

Huang said the Nov. 19 discussion will prioritize shared objectives, visions, and major policies, per Storm Media. He stressed that the central goal is determining how the parties can work together to help “unite Taiwan.”

Huang added that national sovereignty rests with Taiwan’s 23 million people, and said the TPP is committed to defending the nation’s way of life, including liberty, democracy, rule of law, and human rights, per ETtoday. He also noted that differing opinions on cross-strait relations require dialogue to ease tensions.

A KMT insider said the meeting will not produce any nominations for the 2026 elections but will focus on creating mechanisms to guide cooperation, per UDN. The meeting is scheduled to run from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Hyatt Place New Taipei City Xinzhuang.

The venue is about 400 meters from former TPP presidential candidate Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) campaign headquarters. Huang, who is considering a New Taipei mayoral bid, is expected to establish his campaign office in Xinzhuang District.

Chen said Ko has been advising the party based on lessons from the failed 2024 opposition coalition, stressing the need for transparency and thorough discussions, per NOWnews. Ko said rushed public opinion polling hindered cooperation between the two parties, arguing the timing both affected poll results and left too little time to persuade supporters to accept them.

According to a recent Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation survey, combined support for the KMT and TPP surpasses that of the Democratic Progressive Party by 9.4%, per ETtoday. TPOF Chair You Ying-lung (游盈隆) said the results should serve as a warning for the DPP as the 2026 elections approach.

The poll surveyed 1,085 respondents, 760 via landline and 325 by mobile phone, with a sampling error of ±2.98 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.