KMT's Cheng Li-wun visits China for peace talks
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- Cheng Li-wun arrived in China for a rare six-day visit on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, framing the trip as a peace mission to prevent war over Taiwan
- KMT chairperson Cheng Li-wun stressed the need for cross-strait dialogue, stating, 'If you truly love Taiwan, you will seize every opportunity... to prevent Taiwan from being ravaged by war'
- China has intensified military drills around Taiwan, a self-governing democracy it claims as its own territory, coinciding with Cheng's visit
- U.S. officials are pressuring Taiwan to spend billions on American weapons, a backdrop to the political debate over defense spending in Taipei
- Taiwan's president faces domestic gridlock over a proposal to increase defense spending, highlighting political divisions during a period of external pressure
Why it matters: Cheng’s visit breaks from official government policy by advancing direct engagement with Beijing while Taiwan’s leadership struggles to unify around defense strategy, giving the KMT a platform to position itself as a peace broker amid stalled arms deals and rising regional tension. The U.S. push for higher defense spending gains new urgency as internal divisions delay preparedness.
