Taiwan’s main opposition figure, Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, arrived in China on Tuesday for a rare visit intended to foster peace across the Taiwan Strait. This marks the first time in a decade that a KMT leader has traveled to China. Cheng has expressed her intention to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping before heading to the United States, Taiwan’s primary security ally.
The KMT advocates for closer ties with China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened military action to assert control. Cheng’s unexpected rise to lead the party in October was acknowledged with a congratulatory message from Xi. However, she has faced criticism, including from within her own party, for being perceived as overly pro-China.
Cheng landed at Shanghai airport early Tuesday afternoon. Taiwanese media broadcast live footage showing her receiving a bouquet upon disembarking from a Shanghai Airlines flight, followed by her departure in a convoy that appeared to avoid the main terminal. Prior to leaving Taipei, Cheng emphasized the importance of preventing conflict, stating, “To preserve peace is to preserve Taiwan.” She urged both sides to gradually build goodwill and expand mutual trust.
In the lead-up to her trip, Taiwan’s top China policy agency warned that Beijing might attempt to disrupt Taiwan’s military acquisitions from the US and its international cooperation, allegations the KMT denies. Cheng clarified that her visit is solely focused on cross-strait peace and stability, distancing it from issues related to arms procurement.
Taiwanese lawmakers remain divided over a government proposal to allocate NT$1.25 trillion (approximately $39 billion) for defense spending, a plan stalled in the opposition-controlled legislature. Cheng’s itinerary in China spans six days, including visits to Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing, where she hopes to meet President Xi.
While KMT members frequently engage in exchanges with Chinese officials, the last party leader to visit China was Hung Hsiu-chu in 2016. That year, Beijing cut high-level contacts with Taiwan after Democratic Progressive Party’s Tsai Ing-wen won the presidency and rejected China’s sovereignty claims. Relations between the two sides have since deteriorated, with China increasing military pressure through near-daily fighter jet and warship deployments near Taiwan, alongside large-scale drills.
Cheng’s visit occurs a month before US President Donald Trump’s planned summit with Xi in Beijing. The US has been urging Taiwanese opposition lawmakers to support defense procurement proposals, including US arms sales, to deter potential Chinese aggression. Cheng has opposed the government’s plan, arguing that “Taiwan isn’t an ATM,” and instead supports a KMT proposal to allocate NT$380 billion for US weapons, with the possibility of further acquisitions.
However, divisions within the KMT are deepening over how to respond to China’s military threats, with more moderate senior party members advocating for a significantly larger defense budget. The US remains Taiwan’s largest arms supplier, despite longstanding ambiguity about its defense commitments, a stance that frustrates Beijing. In December, the US approved $11 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, with additional deals pending, though their future is uncertain following Xi’s warning to Trump against such transfers.
Cheng maintains her support for a strong Taiwanese defense but insists the island does not need to choose between Beijing and Washington.
