Key facts
- KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun completed a two-week visit to the U.S.
- Meetings included U.S. lawmakers and think tanks, focusing on Taiwan's defense budget, arms purchases, and energy policy.
- Some U.S. representatives expressed frustration with Taiwan's ruling party's anti-nuclear stance.
- Cheng aimed to clarify the KMT's positions and its role in cross-strait peace.
- U.S. lawmakers encouraged greater defense spending by Taiwan.
Cheng Li-wun, the chairwoman of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT), has concluded a two-week visit to the United States aimed at bolstering her international profile and articulating her party's stance to an American audience. During her trip, Cheng met with various U.S. lawmakers, including Republican Senator Steve Daines and Representatives John Rose, Chuck Fleischmann, Thomas Suozzi, and Brian Mast. Discussions centered on Taiwan's defense budget, arms purchases, and energy policy, with a particular focus on nuclear energy, where some U.S. representatives expressed frustration with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's anti-nuclear stance and welcomed the KMT's support for nuclear power.
U.S. lawmakers, such as Representative Young Kim, also sought greater clarity on Cheng's April meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and encouraged Taiwan to increase its defense spending as a demonstration of commitment to self-defense and deterrence. Cheng stated that her visit aimed to counter "misinformation" about the KMT, emphasizing the party's historical role in maintaining cross-strait peace and preventing the U.S. from being drawn into what she described as an "avoidable war."
While meetings with U.S. National Security Council officials were reportedly arranged, there were no visible signs of Cheng or her delegation at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The KMT's representative to the U.S., Victor Chin, confirmed a meeting had been set but provided no further details. Cheng also expressed willingness to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump if the opportunity arose.