Cheng Li-wun, chairperson of Taiwan’s main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), has accepted an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit China in April. The announcement was made by her party alongside confirmation from Chinese state media on Monday. Cheng, who assumed her leadership role in November, has emphasized the importance of meeting Xi before undertaking an official trip to the United States, a stance that has drawn criticism both within and outside her party for being perceived as overly pro-China.
The KMT traditionally supports closer ties and increased exchanges with China, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to assert control. Cheng’s party stated she “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, echoing a report from Xinhua. The statement highlighted her anticipation of collaborative efforts to advance peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait, enhance cross-Strait cooperation, and promote stability and prosperity for people on both sides.
Chinese media outlined that the delegation’s itinerary would include visits to Jiangsu province, Shanghai, and Beijing from April 7 to 12. However, it did not confirm whether Cheng would meet directly with Xi, a meeting she has publicly sought. Following the announcement, Cheng expressed hope that her visit would demonstrate that conflict between the two sides is not inevitable.
This trip will mark the first visit to China by a sitting KMT chairperson since November 2016, when then-leader Hung Hsiu-chu met with Xi in Beijing. Within the KMT, there are concerns that a Cheng-Xi meeting could provoke voter backlash ahead of Taiwan’s district elections later this year. While the party has long favored friendlier relations with Beijing, Cheng has faced accusations from President Lai Ching-te’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of acting in Beijing’s interests by obstructing government defense spending plans.
In remarks to international media last week, Cheng described talks with Xi as carrying “significant symbolic meaning” and potentially laying a foundation for peaceful cross-Strait relations. She acknowledged that a single meeting could not resolve longstanding issues but expressed hope to build a bridge between the two sides.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s parliament is debating proposals for special defense spending aimed at strengthening the island’s military capabilities against a possible Chinese attack. The Lai administration has proposed NT$1.25 trillion (approximately $39 billion) for critical defense acquisitions, including US arms. In contrast, the KMT supports an initial allocation of NT$380 billion for US weapons, with flexibility for additional purchases. However, some KMT lawmakers advocate for a substantially higher budget than the party’s official stance, indicating internal divisions on defense policy.
Recently returned from a US visit, Lu Shiow-yen, mayor of Taichung and a potential KMT presidential candidate for 2028, suggested to local media that a reasonable defense budget would range between NT$800 billion and NT$1 trillion. Cheng’s planned visit to China coincides with a bipartisan US Congressional delegation’s visit to Taiwan, intensifying calls for increased military spending on the island.
