Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, highlighted during her visit to Shanghai on Thursday the complementary strengths of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, calling for cross-Strait peace to unlock vast opportunities.

"We should not let unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings limit our potential for progress and development," said Cheng, who led a KMT delegation on a visit to Yangshan Deep Water Port in southeastern Shanghai.

She noted that both the mainland and Taiwan have achieved significant development in various fields, often being at the forefront globally. She expressed the hope that the two sides could work together to harness those strengths.

Yangshan Deep Water Port, which began operations in 2005, is regarded as a model of intelligent and green shipping. It has developed a global network of more than 350 international shipping routes, which connect major port hubs in over 200 countries and regions.

Cheng and the delegation later visited the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute under the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, where she boarded and toured the cabins of display models of the domestically manufactured C909, C919 and C929 aircraft.

The visit was part of a six-day mainland trip by the 14-member KMT delegation, which runs through Sunday and includes stops in Jiangsu province, Shanghai and Beijing.

Having observed the mainland's progress in areas such as drone delivery, the low-altitude economy and artificial intelligence, Cheng suggested that new opportunities could be explored for Taiwan's service sectors and traditional manufacturing industries, which are currently experiencing bottlenecks.

She emphasized the importance of using technology to drive industrial transformation and upgrading in Taiwan. She also noted that Taiwan's experience in applying technology to ecological protection could provide valuable insights for the mainland, particularly with regard to water management.

Reflecting on her visit, Cheng said that reconciliation, dialogue, exchange and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait can "bloom into the most beautiful flowers in the least likely places".

She expressed hope that her visit would help bring peace as a "gift" to people in Taiwan.

"Peace makes everything people hope for possible," she said, adding that stability across the Taiwan Strait would also create opportunities for people around the world.

Shanghai is an important base for Taiwan compatriots to develop on the mainland, Cheng said. As of December, the cumulative number of Taiwan-funded enterprises in Shanghai exceeded 20,000.

The Shanghai-Taipei City Forum has also been held 16 times, playing an important role in promoting cross-Strait exchanges.

After concluding her visit to Shanghai, Cheng and her delegation flew to Beijing on Thursday afternoon.