Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) is showing signs of internal strain ahead of its leader’s planned visit to mainland China, with divisions over defence spending and ties with Washington and Beijing raising questions over the party’s strategic direction.
KMT chairwoman Cheng Li-wun is set to go to mainland China with a delegation from April 7 to 12 on a trip that could include a meeting with Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.
The trip comes as the party remains divided over a contentious special defence budget, exposing what some analysts describe as an emerging split between more US-leaning and Beijing-friendly camps.
At the centre of the debate is a proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special defence budget put forward by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration to boost the island’s resilience and asymmetric capabilities.
Much of the special funding has been earmarked to buy US weapons, following White House pressure for the island to take on more responsibility for its defence.
The KMT caucus has proposed a significantly smaller “NT$380 billion plus N” framework – with the final figure subject to negotiation – but several senior figures have signalled support for a higher range closer to the government’s proposal.
Taichung mayor Lu Shiow-yen, widely seen as a potential KMT contender in the island’s 2028 leadership race, said on Monday soon after returning from a visit to the United States that a “reasonable” budget should fall between NT$800 billion and NT$1 trillion.
