The visit was an instant international media hit, with major media reporting almost entirely shorn of context. The international media should have been asking: if these exchanges build peace, why does Cheng need to visit for “peace?” Shouldn’t we already have it? As I have ceaselessly observed, tensions are an important lever for the PRC in shaping the way the international media reports on Taiwan. The international media then laps this up, as a dog returns to its vomit, because hyping Cheng’s perfectly ordinary trip as a breakthrough moment generates clicks. The international media quietly gave up that falsehood years ago.

Source: Taipei Times April 08, 2026 17:13 UTC