A leading opposition politician in Taiwan proposed a different path to security amid rising cross-strait tensions and international pressure. Her remarks came after meetings in Beijing and preceded a critical parliamentary vote that trimmed parts of a 40 billion dollar defense plan.
Taiwan, Taiwan – while Washington vigorously urges the island to increase defense spending in the event of possible overt aggression by China, the loudest figure in the country’s opposition is advocating a different course: less tension and active dialogue.
After recent meetings with China’s leader Xi Jinping in Beijing and a few days before U.S. President Donald Trump would take similar steps, the head of Taiwan’s largest opposition party told CNN that weapons alone do not guarantee the island’s security.
“Taiwan does not want to become the next Ukraine.”
– Cheng Li-wun
Her comments came in an interview a few hours before the opposition-controlled legislature approved a softened version of President Lai Ching-te’s defense package, reducing the overall plan by about a third from roughly $40 billion after months of political gridlock.
The approved package preserves billions of dollars for arms purchases in the United States. However, it reduces funding for parts of domestic defense development, notably for the growing Taiwan drone industry, amid pressure from the Trump administration for allies in Asia to take on greater responsibility for deterring China.
For months, American officials and military analysts have questioned the opposition’s intention to block urgent upgrades to the armed forces despite heightened military tension from China around the democracy that Beijing regards as its own.
Opposition’s stance and the geopolitical context
“KMT is a reliable advocate of Taiwan’s national defense,” Cheng Li-wun said, adding that a significant portion of the budget is “very opaque,” and they cannot “unambiguously” approve the entire package in such a form.
“Much of this $40 billion budget is very opaque.” “It is not possible for us to simply unconditionally approve the entire package.”
– Cheng Li-wun
The discussion unfolds ahead of the anticipated Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing – likely they will discuss Taiwan as a topic that always sits at the center of the agenda at bilateral summits.
In Taipei Cheng spoke to CNN a few steps from the towering bronze statue of Chiang Kai-shek, the former KMT leader whose victory in the civil war led to his retreat to the island and has since shaped tensions along the Taiwan Strait. Beijing regards Taiwan as a part of itself and is prepared to use force if necessary, and U.S. backing is seen as the main obstacle to reunification.
Cheng says that Taiwan should not be forced to choose between Washington and Beijing.
“Being friendly to the United States does not necessarily mean being hostile to China.”
– Cheng Li-wun
Critics accuse Cheng of echoing Beijing’s Kremlin-style talking points at such a sensitive moment for Taiwan’s democracy, particularly in her warnings against “foreign interference” in the Taiwan Strait – a phrasing that many interpret as criticism of the United States and Japan, two of Taipei’s closest partners.
From ministerial sources via private channels it is known that Beijing uses Cheng’s activity as a tool to portray Taiwan as divided and less loyal to Washington ahead of the Trump-Xi summit. Even during the meeting with Xi, Chinese military aircraft and ships continued to patrol areas around Taiwan.
“If Taiwan goes down the path of independence, yes, they have expressed their intention to use military force,” Cheng stated.
At the same time, she emphasizes that dialogue can reduce tensions and allow finding common ground within the context of the “One China” policy as a basis for political discussion across the Strait.
“When the KMT returns to power, military confrontation and activity will lessen, and the risk of war will be fully prevented,” she said.
Cheng’s rapid rise has radically changed Taiwan’s political landscape: she is tall, open, and frank even by local standards, making her one of the sharpest figures in one of the region’s oldest parties. She even joked that she rarely wears heels – not because she wants to “outshine” colleagues, but because she doesn’t know how to walk in them.
Cheng emphasizes that she does not abandon her ambitions for 2028, but for now her main goal is to ensure the KMT’s victory in local elections this year and prepare the party for a return to trust in government in 2028.
“I think that over the next two to three years Taiwan’s fate will be a decisive moment,” Cheng summed up.