KMT Leader Cheng Li-wun Begins 2-Week US Visit After Xi Meeting
Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · Jun 1
KMT Leader Cheng Li-wun Begins 2-Week US Visit After Xi Meeting
11 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · Jun 1
Cheng Li-wun is due in the United States late Monday for a politically sensitive two-week trip that will be closely watched in Beijing, Taipei and Washington.
Washington is the centerpiece of the visit, with stops in Boston and New York also planned for meetings with political figures and think tanks, though the KMT has not named specific counterparts.
Her task is to sell the KMT’s cross-strait vision in America after an April trip to mainland China, where she met Xi Jinping in the first CCP-KMT leaders’ meeting in a decade.
10 Beijing measures promoting exchanges with Taiwan were unveiled days after that meeting, adding to scrutiny over whether Cheng can balance ties with both Washington and Beijing.
Can Taiwan secure peace by blocking a $40 billion US arms deal while negotiating with Beijing?
Is the KMT's new cross-strait vision a viable path to peace or a gamble on Taiwan's future autonomy?
Taiwan at a Crossroads: Cheng Li-wun’s 2026 US and China Diplomacy, Defense Policy Divisions, and the Future of Cross-Strait Relations
Overview
Cheng Li-wun is leading a major diplomatic push for Taiwan, starting with a two-week visit to the United States in June 2026. Her main goals are to boost Taiwan’s international support, expand its global presence, and assert that Taiwan should not be seen as just a 'chess piece' for China. This follows her high-profile trip to China in April, where she met with President Xi Jinping. Together, these moves highlight her strategy to strengthen Taiwan’s autonomy and reshape its role in the tense US-China-Taiwan relationship, while navigating both domestic divisions and international skepticism.