Is Taiwan’s opposition KMT splitting into pro-US and pro-Beijing camps?

Differing views have emerged within the Kuomintang over a special defence budget.

Photo: Reuters Taiwan’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.

The trip comes as the party remains divided over a contentious special defence budget, exposing what some analysts describe as an emerging split between more US-leaning and Beijing-friendly camps.

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.

Much of the special funding has been earmarked to buy US weapons, following White House pressure for the island to take on more responsibility for its defence.

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.

Describing arms procurement as “buying insurance”, Lu said Taiwan should acquire the most advanced systems as early as possible within its financial capacity – remarks widely seen as an attempt to reassure Washington about the party’s support for big-budget spending.

Former KMT chairman Eric Chu Li-luan has also been linked to proposals budgeted in the NT$900 billion range, reinforcing perceptions of a more US-friendly line among key party figures.

The contrast has sharpened scrutiny of Cheng’s position, which critics say reflects a more cautious approach towards Washington as she prepares for her trip across the Taiwan Strait.

Cheng has advocated embracing the 1992 consensus, arguing it could “significantly reduce the likelihood of military confrontation” – a position rejected by the DPP and viewed with unease by some Taiwan-centric voices within the KMT.

原文链接: 南华早报