Taiwan opposition party would fight if China attacked, leader says

Cheng Li-wun, the chairwoman of Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), declared that her party would "fight and counterattack without a doubt" if China attacked the island, even if Taiwan had not formally declared independence. This statement, released in a party communiqué, aims to clarify the KMT's position on cross-strait relations and security.

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we will fight and respond

The KMT opposes a formal declaration of Taiwan's independence, a stance Cheng noted aligns with Chinese President Xi Jinping's position. However, she stressed that if China resorted to force without such a declaration, "we will fight and respond." The party communiqué underscored that the KMT "seeks peace, but will never renounce self-defense," asserting that preserving peace in the Taiwan Strait is equivalent to protecting Taiwan's "democracy, freedom, and the rule of law."

To bolster its defense, the KMT supports strengthening the island's capabilities, including promoting initiatives for local drone manufacturing and other measures to reinforce the defense sector. Cheng's efforts to articulate the KMT's stance internationally included a recent two-week tour of the United States, where she met with lawmakers and academics. During this trip, she told international media that Taiwan should not become a "pawn" in great power rivalries and that the lack of dialogue over the past decade has escalated tensions in the strait.

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seeks peace, but never renounce self-defense

Cheng also described the United States, Taiwan's primary arms supplier, as "indispensable" for maintaining regional peace. Her position has drawn scrutiny from both Taiwan's ruling party and some U.S. circles, particularly following her April meeting in Beijing with Xi Jinping, the first between a sitting KMT leader and the Chinese head of state in nearly a decade. China views Taiwan as an "inalienable part" of its territory and has not ruled out force, while Taiwan's government insists that only its 23 million inhabitants can decide their future.

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democracy, freedom, and the rule of law