Big differences have emerged over defence spending just as the party’s chairwoman prepares to set off for the mainland
5-MIN READ5-MIN ListenLawrence Chungin TaipeiPublished: 6:00pm, 4 Apr 2026Taiwan’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.
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.
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.
