2 months ago
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The person of Taiwan's largest absorption enactment said Monday (March 23, 2026) she hoped to conscionable Chinese President Xi Jinping and physique a "bridge" to resoluteness disputes betwixt China and the antiauthoritarian island, which Beijing has threatened to prehend by force.
Communist China has ne'er ruled Taiwan, but Beijing insists the self-governed land of much than 23 cardinal radical is portion of its territory, and uses subject unit to asseverate its sovereignty claim.
Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, who has been a strident professional of President Lai Ching-te's authorities since taking up her relation successful November, has insisted connected gathering Xi earlier she makes an authoritative travel to the United States.
While the KMT has agelong supported person ties with Beijing, Ms. Cheng has been accused by Lai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of doing Beijing's bidding by stalling the government's defence spending plans.
There are concerns wrong the KMT that a Cheng-Xi gathering could trigger a elector backlash successful Taiwan's territory elections aboriginal this year.
But speaking to overseas media connected Monday, Ms. Cheng said talks with Mr. Xi would transportation "signficant symbolic meaning" and could beryllium a "foundation" to peaceful relations crossed the Taiwan Strait.
"I bash not judge a azygous gathering tin resoluteness each the issues that person been accumulating for astir a century," Ms. Cheng said.
"But... I anticipation I tin successfully physique specified a bridge."
While Ms. Cheng has expressed assurance that a gathering with Mr. Xi volition happen, determination has been nary confirmation from Beijing.
Ms. Cheng's remarks came arsenic Taiwan's parliament began reviewing rival proposals for peculiar defence spending that are aimed astatine boosting the island's subject capabilities against a imaginable Chinese attack.
Mr. Lai's authorities has projected NT$1.25 trillion ($39 billion) successful spending connected captious defence purchases, including US arms, portion the KMT wants to allocate NT$380 cardinal for U.S. weapons with the enactment for much acquisitions.
While the KMT supported having stronger defences, Ms. Cheng said much subject spending unsocial would not execute bid with China.
"There indispensable besides beryllium governmental efforts. Political efforts are... the key," Ms. Cheng said.
China severed high-level communications with Taiwan successful 2016 aft Mr. Lai's predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, who besides belongs to the Democratic Progressive Party, took power.
Chinese leaders detest Lai, who Beijing calls a "separatist".
Ms. Cheng said her propulsion for person relations with China did not travel astatine the disbursal of the United States, which is Taiwan's biggest arms provider.
Lawmakers successful Washington person been captious of Taiwan's absorption parties for blocking the government's defence spending bill.
"The KMT has agelong had precise bully relations with the United States, and improving our relations with the mainland (China) volition not impact that," Ms. Cheng said.
"We bash not request to take 1 oregon the other."
