29th March 2023 – (Nanjing) A delegation led by former Chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang Party, Ma Ying-jeou, visited the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on Tuesday morning. The delegation paid tribute to Sun Yat-sen, known to the Chinese people as a great national hero and patriot, who paved the way for China’s democratic revolution.
Ma presented a floral basket to the statue of Sun in the sacrifice hall of the mausoleum and wrote an inscription meaning “Peace, endeavor, revitalising China” in commemoration. Ma and some members of the delegation paid their respects to Sun in the coffin chamber and observed a minute of silence.
In an interaction with media outlets after the visit, Ma emphasized the importance of working together for peace and rejuvenation on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. He called on young people in Taiwan to gain a deep understanding of Sun’s life and cross-Strait relations. Ma said that the delegation would convey the hospitality and kindness they received on the mainland to people on the island.
“The Chinese people on both sides of the Strait should work together in pursuit of peace, avoid war, and be committed to the revitalization of China. This is an inevitable responsibility that we must work hard to fulfill,” Ma said.
Chinese revolutionaries represented by Sun launched the Revolution of 1911 that brought down the Qing government and ended the absolute monarchy that had ruled China for thousands of years. Sun once noted that “reunification” is the hope of all Chinese people. He had always firmly safeguarded national reunification and unity and taken a clear-cut stance against words and actions aimed at splitting China and the Chinese nation.
“The aspiration of revitalising China, held by Sun and pioneers of the Revolution of 1911, should be a common pursuit for people across the Strait,” said Liu Xiangping, an expert on Taiwan studies at Nanjing University.
“Compatriots on both sides of the Strait should carry forward the spirit of national revitalization championed by Sun,” said Li Zhenguang, a professor at the Beijing Union University.
“Under the new historical conditions, compatriots on both sides should jointly maintain the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and realise national rejuvenation, which is the best commemoration for Sun,” Li said.
Ma arrived in Shanghai on Monday, and his itinerary in the mainland includes Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Chongqing, and Shanghai. His visit aims to promote cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, enhance mutual understanding, and deepen people-to-people exchanges.
Ma’s visit comes amid tensions between China and Taiwan, with Beijing claiming sovereignty over Taiwan, and Taipei asserting its independence. The two sides have been at odds since the Chinese civil war ended in 1949, and Taiwan’s leaders fled to the island.