{"id":40956,"date":"2026-04-04T13:30:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T13:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=40956"},"modified":"2026-04-04T13:30:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T13:30:51","slug":"taiwans-opposition-leader-seeks-to-win-friends-in-china-with-a-high-stakes-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=40956","title":{"rendered":"Taiwan&#8217;s opposition leader seeks to win friends in China with a high-stakes visit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-4c2a13\" class=\"body-graf\">TAIPEI, Taiwan \u2014 A few weeks before President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-says-not-possible-us-pay-medicaid-medicare-daycare-re-fighting-w-rcna266381\" target=\"_blank\">Donald Trump<\/a> arrives in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/china\/us-returns-chinese-drug-fugitive-rare-extradition-xinhua-says-rcna266529\" target=\"_blank\">China<\/a> next month, Chinese President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/asia\/trumps-china-summit-xi-jinping-just-got-lot-complicated-rcna261453\" target=\"_blank\">Xi Jinping<\/a> will have another visitor: Taiwan\u2019s opposition leader.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"styles_subscriptionCTA__LOUeY\" id=\"subscriptionCTA\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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\" alt=\"NBC News Icon\" class=\"styles_icon__wRwWv\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_textWrapper__vxvko\">\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB styles_textLarge__qlzwu\">Subscribe to read this story ad-free    <\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB\">Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\" alt=\"arrow\" class=\"styles_arrow__tnruW\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/button><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-b68815\" class=\"body-graf\">When Cheng Li-wun, chairperson of Taiwan\u2019s Nationalist Party, touches down in China on Tuesday, it will mark the first time in a decade that the head of her party visits the mainland.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-472649\" class=\"body-graf\">It will also be a defining step for Cheng, 56, who took the reins of the party \u2014 also known as the Kuomintang or KMT \u2014 in November, in a political about-face that has made her a divisive figure in Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy that rejects Beijing\u2019s sovereignty claims.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-f823e9\" class=\"body-graf\">Her view is that the island of 23 million people urgently needs to engage with China to avoid war, and that people should \u201cbe able to proudly and confidently say, \u2018I am Chinese.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"inline-video inline-video--in-body inline-video--vertical-video\" data-testid=\"inline-video\" id=\"anchor-08b31b\">\n<div class=\"inline-video__background\">\n<div class=\"inline-video__player\">\n<div class=\"styles_gridStackWrapper__Z_AMc styles_verticalVideoContainer__AndXW vertical-video-container inline-article-vertical-video paused\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-testid=\"gamma-video-player\">\n<div class=\"info-layer styles_infoLayer__3khlf\">\n<p><span class=\"styles_caret__Aqe2z icon icon-play\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-testid=\"caret\"\/><span data-testid=\"card-duration\">00:43<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_controlContainer__XmNB0 styles_inlineVideo__unIwH\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Video controls\">\n<p class=\"styles_title__0GjQf styles_inlineVideoInitial__c2yet\">China carries out live-fire military drills near Taiwan<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"styles_gradientOverlay__6My_d\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span aria-label=\"Elapsed time 00:00\">00:00<\/span><span aria-label=\"Remaining time 00:00\">00:00<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p id=\"anchor-2c3369\" class=\"body-graf\">The KMT has traditionally kept warm ties with Beijing. Yet Cheng\u2019s push to embrace China is a major pivot from the views she held when she entered politics in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as a vocal student activist urging Taiwan&#8217;s independence.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-03d5ca\" class=\"body-graf\">Back then, Cheng was known for her criticism of the KMT, which ruled Taiwan under martial law until 1987. Now, as party leader, she is taking a deliberate turn toward China, even as it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/asia\/chinese-military-stage-drills-taiwan-warn-external-forces-tensions-us-rcna251302\" target=\"_blank\">ramps up military and other pressure on the island<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-e976c0\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cThe world views the Taiwan Strait as the most severe and dangerous powder keg,\u201d Cheng told NBC News in an exclusive interview at the party\u2019s headquarters in central Taipei. \u201cBoth sides of the Taiwan Strait should do their best to use peaceful means to stabilize the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-936c4c\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cIt should not be a life-and-death struggle,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-2d404f\" class=\"body-graf\">Like other Chinese leaders before him, Xi has pressed to \u201cunify\u201d Taiwan with the mainland, by force if necessary, and objected to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/asia\/taiwan-parliament-authorizes-signing-stalled-9-billion-us-arms-deals-rcna263313\" target=\"_blank\">arms sales to the island<\/a> by the United States, which has no formal ties with Taiwan but is its most important international backer. The deals are a major flashpoint in U.S.-China relations and are likely to top the agenda when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/trump-administration\/trump-delays-china-trip-focus-war-iran-rcna263874\" target=\"_blank\">Xi hosts Trump in Beijing<\/a> on May 14 and 15.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-4950ff\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1666\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-02\/260204-Lai-Ching-te-rs-5a1ea4.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-02\/260204-Lai-Ching-te-rs-5a1ea4.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-02\/260204-Lai-Ching-te-rs-5a1ea4.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-02\/260204-Lai-Ching-te-rs-5a1ea4.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-02\/260204-Lai-Ching-te-rs-5a1ea4.jpg\" alt=\"TAIWAN-POLITICS-DEFENCE\" height=\"1666\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Taiwan President Lai Ching-te during a visit to the Songshan military airbase in Taipei in 2025.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">I-Hwa Cheng \/ AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-2a17d2\" class=\"body-graf\">The timing of Xi\u2019s invitation to Cheng to meet with him weeks before Trump is no coincidence: In Taiwan, Cheng\u2019s opposition to a proposed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/asia\/taiwan-must-pass-defense-spending-president-says-rcna257377\" target=\"_blank\">$40 billion increase in defense spending<\/a> over the next eight years by President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/asia\/taiwan-president-pledges-defend-sovereignty-china-military-drills-rcna251780\" target=\"_blank\">Lai Ching-te<\/a> has stalled approval of the government\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-1f6655\" class=\"body-graf\">The delay could jeopardize a $14 billion U.S. arms package that was already put on hold by the Trump administration to not irritate Xi before the May summit. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a5e8f4\" class=\"body-graf\">A spokesperson for Taiwan\u2019s Mainland Affairs Council said Thursday that, by \u201csummoning\u201d Cheng, Xi was \u201cattempting to sever Taiwan\u2019s military procurement from the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-47ddd2\" class=\"body-graf\">While the government of Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China, supports \u201chealthy and orderly cross-strait exchanges,\u201d it hopes Cheng \u201cwill firmly demand that Beijing face the reality of the Republic of China\u2019s existence and immediately stop sending military aircraft around Taiwan,\u201d spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-fbd0d7\" class=\"body-graf\">Cheng has said that her position on U.S. arms and Taiwan\u2019s defense spending should not be interpreted as being \u201canti-American.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-2633fd\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cFor me, improving our relationship with mainland China will never compromise our relationship with the U.S. They are not a zero-sum, \u2018either-or\u2019 choice,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-697f3b\" class=\"body-graf\">News of Cheng\u2019s visit to China next week was swirling as a bipartisan U.S. Senate delegation arrived in Taipei to urge lawmakers to break their logjam over the spending increase and ease concerns in Washington about the island\u2019s ability to defend itself.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-82ab96\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-03\/260313-taiwan-rs-65ae82.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-03\/260313-taiwan-rs-65ae82.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-03\/260313-taiwan-rs-65ae82.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-03\/260313-taiwan-rs-65ae82.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-03\/260313-taiwan-rs-65ae82.jpg\" alt=\"TAIWAN-DEFENCE\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">The Taiwanese military conducting a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) live-fire test launch at the Jiupeng base in Pingtung in 2025.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">I-Hwa Cheng \/ AFP via Getty Images file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-728017\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cThose capabilities, as we look at the potential threat and the challenges ahead, require a certain level of capability and technological expertise that are going to cost,\u201d Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told reporters Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-ed0e35\" class=\"body-graf\">Cheng has said Taiwan cannot afford to overspend on defense, especially with backlogs of arms orders that the U.S. has still not delivered. She also accused Lai, who is reviled by Beijing as a \u201cseparatist,\u201d of concealing information about how the money will be allocated and spent.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-5bc4e7\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cIn Taiwan, we must do everything in our power to prevent a war in the Taiwan Strait,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-9c51ed\" class=\"body-graf\">Lai has warned that opposition delays to defense spending could compromise Taiwan\u2019s national security and give the wrong impression to the international community about the island\u2019s determination to defend itself, saying in February that \u201cshort-changing Taiwan\u2019s defence to kowtow to the CCP is playing with fire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-564460\" class=\"body-graf\">It is unclear how Cheng\u2019s outward embrace of China sits with Taiwanese voters, who have elected Lai\u2019s Democratic Progressive Party in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/taiwan-election-vice-president-lai-wins-vote-defying-china-rcna133597\" target=\"_blank\">past three presidential elections<\/a>. Since Trump&#8217;s return to the White House, there is less confidence among the public that the U.S. will come to Taiwan\u2019s aid in the event of a military conflict, polls show.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/asia\/taiwans-opposition-leader-seeks-win-friends-china-high-stakes-visit-rcna266349\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TAIPEI, Taiwan \u2014 A few weeks before President Donald Trump arrives in China next month, Chinese President Xi Jinping will have another visitor: Taiwan\u2019s opposition leader.&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40956"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40956\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/40957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}