Taiwan Opposition Visit to China
An X post explains why Taiwan’s opposition leader visited China after a decade, arguing the trip was prompted by concerns about Ukraine’s territorial losses and the risks facing U.S. allies; the post recorded 761 likes, 273 reposts, 33 replies and 29,270 views (x.com). The thread ties the visit to wider worries about deterrence and regional security amid ongoing global conflicts (x.com).
Taiwan opposition leader Cheng Li-wun went to China this week and met Xi Jinping, the first such meeting in more than a decade. (apnews.com) Cheng, who leads the Kuomintang party, arrived on April 8 for a six-day trip she called a “journey for peace.” She visited Nanjing, Shanghai and Beijing after accepting Xi’s invitation. (apnews.com) Xi met Cheng at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 10 and said China would “absolutely not tolerate” Taiwan independence. Cheng said she wanted to act as a “bridge for peace” across the Taiwan Strait. (reuters.com) The trip came as Taiwan’s domestic fight over defense spending sharpened. President Lai Ching-te proposed about $40 billion in extra defense spending in late 2025, and United States lawmakers visiting Taipei on March 30 and April 9 urged Taiwan’s opposition-controlled parliament to pass it. (reuters.com 1) (reuters.com 2) Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on April 2 that delays in the 2026 budget threatened NT$78 billion, or about $2.44 billion, in weapons procurement, maintenance and training. The ministry said total defense spending for 2026 was set to rise 22.9% to NT$949.5 billion. (reuters.com) Beijing has increased military and political pressure on Taiwan while also courting the Kuomintang with direct party-to-party contacts. Reuters reported that China announced 10 new measures for Taiwan on April 12, including easier tourism, television and food trade rules, after Cheng’s visit. (reuters.com) Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party criticized the visit and said talks with Beijing cannot replace military preparedness. Reuters reported on April 9 that government lawmakers were angry because Kuomintang legislators skipped key defense budget talks in Taipei while Cheng was in Shanghai calling for peace. (reuters.com) The last comparable meeting between a sitting Kuomintang leader and Xi was in 2015, when then-party chairman Eric Chu traveled to Beijing. Former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou also visited China in April 2024 and met Xi, but Ma no longer led the opposition party. (apnews.com) (reuters.com) As Cheng returned to Taiwan, the split in Taipei was plain: the Kuomintang argued dialogue can lower the risk of war, while Lai’s government and visiting United States lawmakers argued deterrence still depends on passing the stalled defense bills. (bloomberg.com) (reuters.com)
