The Economist.
At the start of April, Cheng Li-wun, the leader of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang party,
made a historic visit to Beijing.
She became the first Kuomintang leader to visit the mainland in a decade,
The Kuomintang ruled China until defeat by Mao Zedong's Red Army forced it to flee to Taiwan in 1949.
While back in Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, Ms. Cheng's cozy relationship with Beijing
is not just dividing public opinion, but also widening a split within her own party.
I'm Jeremy Page, The Economist's Chief China Correspondent based in Taipei.
And I'm Sarah Wu, The Economist's China Correspondent, usually in Beijing, but this week also in Taipei.
This is Drum Tower, from The Economist.
Hi Sarah, great to see you here in Taipei. Welcome back to your old home.
It is fantastic to have you here, and not just because I can catch up on all the gossip from Beijing.
But also because this is actually the first time we've physically been in the same place to record an episode.
Yeah, it's strange, you're like within arm's reach right now.
Very exciting to be able to finally record together in person.
And after two years away, I'm also really happy to get to catch up with friends here
who make Taiwan feel like another home.
Talking to scholars, government advisors, and diplomats in China, it's very easy for Taiwan to become abstract.
Being back reminds me of that disconnect between the big geopolitical discussions and daily life in Taiwan.
And you've chosen a great time to be here because the weather has just warmed up, the sun's out.