Kuomintang Chairwoman Cheng Li‑wun has arrived in China for a six‑day trip aimed at promoting cross‑strait peace and seeking a meeting with Xi Jinping before a US visit. Cheng says the mission is intended to prevent war and build mutual trust, while Taipei warns Beijing may attempt to block US arms sales. The visit unfolds amid a stalemate over a NT$1.25 trillion defence package, internal KMT divisions over procurement, and rising Chinese military pressure since 2016.
KMT Chair Cheng Li‑wun Begins Rare Six‑Day China Visit to Push for Cross‑Strait Peace
Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun will become the party's first leader to visit China in a decade (I-Hwa Cheng)(I-Hwa Cheng/AFP/AFP)
Taiwan's main opposition leader, Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li‑wun, arrived in China on Tuesday for a rare six‑day visit intended to promote cross‑strait "peace" and to seek a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping before she travels to the United States.
Arrival and Itinerary
Live footage from Taiwanese media showed Cheng being handed a bouquet on arrival at a Shanghai airport before she was driven away in a motorcade. She then travelled to the eastern city of Nanjing, where state broadcaster CCTV reported she thanked Xi and Chinese hosts for the reception. Cheng is scheduled to visit the Sun Yat‑sen memorial in Nanjing and will later travel to Beijing, where she hopes to meet Xi.
Messaging and Purpose
Speaking at a KMT news conference in Taipei before departure, Cheng said Taiwan "must do everything in our power to prevent war from breaking out," adding: "To preserve peace is to preserve Taiwan." She described the trip as focused on building goodwill and gradually expanding mutual trust between the two sides.
Domestic Debate Over Defence
The visit comes amid a heated domestic debate over defence spending. Taipei's executive branch warned ahead of Cheng's trip that Beijing may try to "cut off Taiwan's military purchases from the US and cooperation with other countries," a claim the KMT dismissed. Taiwan's legislature has been deadlocked for months over a proposed NT$1.25 trillion (about $39 billion) defence package stalled in the opposition‑controlled parliament.
Cheng has criticised parts of the government's procurement plan, saying "Taiwan isn't an ATM," and has backed a KMT proposal to allocate NT$380 billion initially for US weapons, with options for further purchases. That position has deepened divisions inside the KMT, where some senior figures are pushing for a substantially larger defence budget.
Regional Context
Cross‑strait relations deteriorated after 2016, when Beijing severed high‑level contact with Taiwan following the election of Democratic Progressive Party leader Tsai Ing‑wen. China has stepped up military pressure since then with increased sorties, naval activity and large‑scale drills near Taiwan.
As Cheng arrived in Nanjing, President Lai Ching‑te — elected in 2024 and described by Beijing as a separatist — warned that China is the "biggest" threat to Taiwan's democracy. The timing of Cheng's trip is sensitive: it falls about a month before a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Arms Sales And International Implications
Washington remains Taiwan's largest arms supplier. The US approved about $11 billion in arms sales to Taiwan in December, and more deals have been discussed, although Beijing's warnings to Washington have cast uncertainty over future transactions. US officials have been urging Taiwanese opposition lawmakers to support defence procurements to bolster deterrence.
Bottom line: Cheng says the visit aims to reduce the risk of conflict by building trust, while Taipei and Washington watch closely for any impact on Taiwan's defence procurement and regional security dynamics.
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