Ahead of US-China summit, Taiwan’s opposition leader says island can embrace both powers | CNN

Cheng Li-Wun, chairperson of the Kuomintang, at the party's headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, on April 30, 2026. An Rong Xu/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Taipei, Taiwan —

As Washington pressures Taiwan to spend big on defenses against a potential Chinese attack, one of the island’s most outspoken politicians is arguing the opposite approach: less confrontation and more dialogue.

Fresh from holding talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, and days before US President Donald Trump will do the same, the head of Taiwan’s largest opposition party told CNN that weapons alone will not keep Taiwan safe.

“Taiwan does not want to become the next Ukraine,” warned Cheng Li-wun, chair of the Kuomintang, or KMT.