TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said Thursday that China’s stated use of force against Taiwan is directed at supporters of Taiwan independence rather than the general public, according to Ettoday.

In an interview with online influencer Chen Chih-han (陳之漢), also known as Kuan Chang (館長), Cheng said Chinese leader Xi Jinping views people in Taiwan as “family” and that cross-strait differences should be addressed through dialogue. She urged the public to place confidence in Beijing’s stated preference for peaceful development.

Cheng said cross-strait relations are at a critical juncture ahead of Taiwan’s next presidential election, framing the political environment as a choice between war and peace. She added that the KMT must demonstrate that neither side seeks conflict and that stable relations remain achievable, citing her recent meeting with Xi as part of that effort.

She said misunderstandings between the two sides should be reduced through empathy and communication. Cheng pointed to what she described as relative stability during the administration of former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) as evidence that peaceful relations are possible.

She said that peace is not complicated, adding that external actors can provoke conflict in which both sides end up harming each other. She added that greater cross-strait dialogue and cooperation would bring significant progress.