Chiang Chi-chen took office as chairperson of the Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan on March 9, two months after his predecessor Wu Den-yih resigned. The 48-year-old, who has a doctorate from the University of South Carolina in the U.S., said he would carry out reform and innovation in the KMT.

The Chinese mainland expects the KMT under its new chairman to make efforts to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said.

Calling the current cross-Straits relations complex, Zhu hoped the KMT, under Chiang, would cherish and maintain the political foundation between it and the Communist Party of China (CPC) and play a role as a bridge in cross-Straits communication.

For years, the CPC and the KMT have strengthened mutual trust, promoted the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and improved the interests and wellbeing of compatriots across the Straits on the common political foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence," Zhu said.