https://www.scmp.com/rss/524122/feed The latest news and top stories on Cheng Li-wun, a former Taiwanese lawmaker and candidate for the Kuomintang (KMT) leadership. She has a background in law and international relations, holding degrees from National Taiwan University, Temple University and the University of Cambridge. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Beijing’s decision to resume direct flights to Taiwan, alongside nine other measures to deepen cross-strait exchanges and ties, shows the value of dialogue. These steps, announced immediately after Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s recent six-day visit, including a meeting with Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, are a reminder that trust and cooperation are more likely to result in improvement to fraught relations, while confrontation leads only to stagnation. The measures go beyond symbolic... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3350458/beijings-10-point-plan-sends-strong-signal-ordinary-taiwanese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3350458/beijings-10-point-plan-sends-strong-signal-ordinary-taiwanese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. The outbreak of the war in Iran resulted in a spike in oil prices, which remain elevated despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire. For cities heavily reliant on energy imports, the challenge is not only to cushion abrupt shocks, but to build a system capable of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3350118/amid-elevated-oil-prices-hong-kongs-stable-energy-system-boon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3350118/amid-elevated-oil-prices-hong-kongs-stable-energy-system-boon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Communist Party chief Xi Jinping appears to be taking a patient approach to reunification with Taiwan, according to the island’s opposition leader and a member of her delegation who attended a rare meeting with Xi in Beijing. Xi met Cheng Li-wun, who leads Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang, and her delegation at the Great Hall of the People on Friday – the first talks between sitting leaders of the two parties in nearly a decade. Discussing the cross-strait relationship, Xi said the issues had... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350271/xi-jinping-stressed-patience-taiwan-reunification-talks-opposition-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350271/xi-jinping-stressed-patience-taiwan-reunification-talks-opposition-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Taiwan’s political pendulum is reversing. The government led by Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) William Lai Ching-te is increasingly discredited, not least for selling out the jewel of its semiconductor industry to the United States under pressure from President Donald Trump. The Legislative Yuan is controlled by the opposition led by the Kuomintang (KMT). Party politics is now institutionalised into a sustained confrontation between the island’s presidency and its legislature. Now, budgets... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349841/kmt-chief-shows-way-forward-avoid-blind-confrontation-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349841/kmt-chief-shows-way-forward-avoid-blind-confrontation-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi On April 12, Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office unveiled a 10-point policy package aimed at turning political dialogue into practical action. From restoring regular direct flights to sharing water, electricity and gas supplies with the frontline islands of Quemoy, also known as Kinmen, and Matsu, the measures represent a tangible peace dividend. Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s visit to Beijing, where Communist Party chief Xi Jinping held a historic meeting with her, signifies a profound shift... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349791/strategic-logic-xis-historic-meeting-taiwans-cheng-li-wun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349791/strategic-logic-xis-historic-meeting-taiwans-cheng-li-wun?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwanese industry groups and businesses have broadly welcomed Beijing’s package of 10 measures to promote cross-strait exchanges across economic sectors. They said the proposals from the Communist Party’s Taiwan affairs authorities could help ease pressures weighing on local industries in recent years. Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, also appeared relieved that the measures focused largely on economic and livelihood issues rather than politically sensitive themes. The Taiwan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349938/taiwan-industries-cheer-beijings-10-point-plan-boost-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349938/taiwan-industries-cheer-beijings-10-point-plan-boost-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:52:47 +0000 SCMP Plus SCMP Plus This document was translated from Chinese into English using Alibaba’s Qwen3.6-Plus, then checked and tweaked for accuracy by a South China Morning Post journalist. It is for reference only, and is not the official English version of the original Chinese document. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3349919/beijings-10-measures-boost-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3349919/beijings-10-measures-boost-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:38 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Beijing has promised to restore direct flights between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan following a visit by the leader of the main opposition party. The 10-point measures, which also include a pledge to ease restrictions on individuals travelling to the island, were announced on Sunday as Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun concluded her visit to the mainland. Her trip, which began on Tuesday, included a meeting with Xi Jinping – the first between the leaders of the Communist Party and KMT in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349782/beijing-pledges-better-taiwan-air-and-travel-links-after-kmt-leaders-mainland-china-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349782/beijing-pledges-better-taiwan-air-and-travel-links-after-kmt-leaders-mainland-china-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:07:49 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The meeting between President Xi Jinping, chief of the Communist Party, and Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party the Kuomintang, was the first in nearly a decade between the sitting leaders of the two parties. Its timing was especially significant. Amid global concern about armed conflict, China is increasingly seen as a source of stability. That makes a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue and Friday’s meeting with the KMT leader critical not only to China, but also to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349692/chengs-beijing-visit-underscores-hope-cross-strait-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349692/chengs-beijing-visit-underscores-hope-cross-strait-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Lawrence Chung,Amber Wang Lawrence Chung,Amber Wang The high-profile talks between leaders of the Communist Party and the Kuomintang are a step towards cross-strait stability despite the KMT’s opposition status in Taiwan, according to observers. Communist Party chief Xi Jinping and KMT chairwoman Cheng Li-wun met in Beijing on Friday in the first such talks between the sitting leaders of the two parties in nearly a decade. Analysts in mainland China and Taiwan broadly agreed that the encounter signalled a revival of cross-strait engagement... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349690/will-cheng-li-wuns-meeting-xi-jinping-temper-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349690/will-cheng-li-wuns-meeting-xi-jinping-temper-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Communist Party chief Xi Jinping said he was “fully confident” of closer ties with Taiwan as he met a leader of the island’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party for the first time in almost a decade. “The historical trend that compatriots of both sides of the strait will get closer and get together will not change,” Xi said at the start of his discussion with Cheng Li-wun. “This is a certainty of history, and we are fully confident.” Cheng called for a “systemic solution” to avoid war in the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3349645/xi-holds-landmark-taiwan-meeting-iran-war-ceasefire-gdp-update?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/politics/article/3349645/xi-holds-landmark-taiwan-meeting-iran-war-ceasefire-gdp-update?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:00:26 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s biggest opposition party, the Kuomintang, highlighted the need for peace as she spoke to the media in Beijing on Friday afternoon after her historic meeting with Communist Party chief Xi Jinping. It is the first time the leaders of the KMT and the Communist Party have met in nine years and comes at a time of heightened cross-strait military tensions. Here are the main takeaways from the press conference. A ‘choice of war or peace’ In a clear reference to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349640/takeaways-cheng-li-wuns-press-conference-about-meeting-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349640/takeaways-cheng-li-wuns-press-conference-about-meeting-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:25:02 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), spoke to the press in Beijing at 2.22pm on Friday, hours after her historic meeting with Communist Party chief Xi Jinping. It was the first meeting between leaders of the two parties in nine years after then-KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu visited the mainland in November 2016. During the meeting on Friday morning, both Xi and Cheng highlighted a message of peace across the strait. “Compatriots on both sides are... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349617/taiwans-opposition-leader-cheng-li-wun-speaks-after-historic-meeting-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349617/taiwans-opposition-leader-cheng-li-wun-speaks-after-historic-meeting-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:22:29 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei In a historic meeting between Communist Party chief Xi Jinping and the head of Taiwan’s main opposition party, Beijing outlined a vision of peaceful relations with the island, shared development outcomes and greater dialogue. “Compatriots on both sides are both Chinese, and we need peace, we need development, we need communication and we need cooperation. This is a common wish,” Xi told Cheng Li-wun, head of the Kuomintang (KMT), on Friday, in the first such talks between the two parties’... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349597/xi-jinping-meets-taiwan-opposition-leader-cheng-li-wun-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349597/xi-jinping-meets-taiwan-opposition-leader-cheng-li-wun-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:03:54 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Taiwan can learn from the way mainland China uses artificial intelligence, Taiwanese opposition leader Cheng Li-wun said during her visit to Shanghai. The Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman visited the headquarters of Meituan on Wednesday, where she was welcomed by founder and CEO Wang Xing. The company, which goes by Keeta outside the mainland, operates China’s biggest online takeaway platform, as well as offering grocery delivery, bike rental and other services. The company uses AI extensively to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349540/taiwan-should-learn-mainland-ai-kmt-head-cheng-li-wun-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349540/taiwan-should-learn-mainland-ai-kmt-head-cheng-li-wun-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:37 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwanese opposition leader Cheng Li-wun blamed Japanese “imperialist forces” for dividing mainland China and Taiwan, as she paid tribute to Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen at his mausoleum in Nanjing on Wednesday. In a speech delivered after the Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman laid a floral wreath before a statue of the founder of modern China, Cheng said Taiwan became a Japanese colony at a time of national weakness, following the 1895 defeat of China in the first Sino-Japanese war. She said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349383/imperialist-forces-divided-taiwan-mainland-kmt-head-cheng-li-wun-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349383/imperialist-forces-divided-taiwan-mainland-kmt-head-cheng-li-wun-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:14:21 +0000 Lawrence Chung,Alcott Wei Lawrence Chung,Alcott Wei Taiwanese opposition leader Cheng Li-wun said she hoped to make the Taiwan Strait “safe” and not one of the world’s “most dangerous places” as she left for Shanghai on Tuesday. Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng is leading a 14-member delegation – including three KMT vice-chairmen – on a six-day visit to mainland China. A planned meeting with Communist Party leader Xi Jinping during the trip has drawn scrutiny in Taipei as tensions soar across the strait. Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349225/taiwanese-opposition-leader-cheng-li-wun-begins-journey-peace-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349225/taiwanese-opposition-leader-cheng-li-wun-begins-journey-peace-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 06:59:21 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung A high-stakes visit to mainland China by the chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), during which she is expected to meet Communist Party leader Xi Jinping and promote cross-strait peace, is under scrutiny in Taipei. Cheng Li-wun is set to depart for Shanghai on Tuesday for a six-day trip, with local media reporting a possible meeting with Xi in Beijing on Thursday – the first such encounter between the two parties’ leaders in a decade. However, Cheng’s coming visit has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349176/why-kmt-leaders-planned-visit-beijing-under-scrutiny-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349176/why-kmt-leaders-planned-visit-beijing-under-scrutiny-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:05:56 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung 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... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349025/taiwans-opposition-kmt-splitting-pro-us-and-pro-beijing-camps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349025/taiwans-opposition-kmt-splitting-pro-us-and-pro-beijing-camps?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:00:14 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The former chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), has called for cross-strait dialogue to break the state of “cold peace”, rebuild trust and avoid conflict. “The key to cross-strait relations lies not in radical confrontation, but in profound mutual trust,” Hung Hsiu-chu wrote on a popular mainland online platform on Thursday. She also called for a return to the 1992 consensus, an unofficial agreement between Beijing and the then-ruling KMT in Taiwan. It states that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348979/no-more-cold-peace-across-taiwan-strait-former-kmt-chairwoman-calls-rebuild-trust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348979/no-more-cold-peace-across-taiwan-strait-former-kmt-chairwoman-calls-rebuild-trust?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:09:15 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Controlled escalation? Trump hails ‘victories’ in Iran but vows more strikes US President Donald Trump declared the US‑Israel war against Iran had delivered “decisive, overwhelming victories”, even as he signalled that key military... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348885/trump-hails-victories-iran-chinas-underwater-tunnels-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348885/trump-hails-victories-iran-chinas-underwater-tunnels-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words Beijing recently invited Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun to pay a visit to mainland China from April 7 to 12, an invitation she promptly accepted. The last time a sitting chairperson of the KMT visited the mainland was 10 years ago. On November 1, 2025, Cheng was... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348808/why-kmt-leaders-planned-visit-mainland-china-significant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348808/why-kmt-leaders-planned-visit-mainland-china-significant?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 03:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Cheng Li-wun will be the first sitting chairperson of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang to visit the mainland since Hung Hsiu-chu nearly 10 years ago. The announcement of the trip, from April 7 to 12, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, comes at a sensitive time in cross-strait relations, with four American senators arriving in Taiwan to promote arms sales opposed by Beijing, and Xi expected to host a summit with President Donald Trump next month. Xi’s invitation to Cheng, elected KMT... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348647/taiwan-kuomintang-leaders-visit-mainland-china-gives-reason-hope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348647/taiwan-kuomintang-leaders-visit-mainland-china-gives-reason-hope?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 23:15:12 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), will visit Nanjing during her visit to mainland China next week. According to a KMT press statement issued on Tuesday night, she will pay tribute at the mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Republic of China – Taiwan’s formal name – and a symbol of the shared past between Taiwan and the mainland. Cheng will arrive in Shanghai on April 7 and then travel by train to Nanjing, in eastern Jiangsu province, the itinerary... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348696/taiwans-kmt-chair-cheng-li-wun-honour-sun-yat-sen-landmark-mainland-china-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348696/taiwans-kmt-chair-cheng-li-wun-honour-sun-yat-sen-landmark-mainland-china-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:17:02 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai has warned the chairwoman of the main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT) against engaging in talks or agreements involving government authority when she visits mainland China next month. Cheng Li-wun’s coming visit has rattled Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and exposed unease even within KMT ranks – highlighting mounting friction over the opposition outreach to Beijing amid heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Cheng is expected to lead a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348556/no-deals-mainland-china-visit-taiwans-premier-cho-jung-tai-warns-kmt-chairwoman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348556/no-deals-mainland-china-visit-taiwans-premier-cho-jung-tai-warns-kmt-chairwoman?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:13:27 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,Lawrence Chung Phoebe Zhang,Lawrence Chung Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), will lead a delegation to mainland China next month at the invitation of Beijing, her first visit since assuming the position in November. Song Tao, head of Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Monday that the Communist Party Central Committee and Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee, would welcome her visit to Jiangsu province, Shanghai and Beijing from April 7 to 12 to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348342/taiwans-kuomintang-leader-visit-mainland-china-aid-peaceful-relations-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348342/taiwans-kuomintang-leader-visit-mainland-china-aid-peaceful-relations-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:47:18 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday for taking bribes and misusing political donations, dealing a heavy blow to the opposition party he built. Ko, who founded the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) in 2019 and finished last in a three-way race for the island’s top political job in 2024, did not plead guilty, according to Taiwanese media reports. The TPP is the third-biggest party in Taiwanese politics and has been in talks with the larger Kuomintang (KMT) to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348010/taiwanese-court-jails-former-taipei-mayor-ko-wen-je-17-years-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348010/taiwanese-court-jails-former-taipei-mayor-ko-wen-je-17-years-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:00:07 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Taiwan’s two main opposition parties are set to join forces in local elections, a midterm contest this autumn that analysts say could lay the groundwork for potential cooperation in the 2028 leadership race to challenge the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The elections, scheduled for November and commonly known as the “nine-in-one” elections, will determine local officials and councillors across nine categories, ranging from mayors and county magistrates to village chiefs, as well as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347357/taiwans-main-opposition-parties-join-forces-local-elections-foundation-2028-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3347357/taiwans-main-opposition-parties-join-forces-local-elections-foundation-2028-race?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:14:46 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s legislature has agreed to begin reviewing a long-stalled special defence budget, but competing opposition proposals are set to complicate passage of the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) plan despite mounting pressure from the United States. Lawmakers began scrutinising the bill on Friday, as three rival proposals from the island’s main political parties exposed deep divisions over how much Taiwan should spend on defence and what mix of foreign weapons and home-grown... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345756/taiwan-starts-review-defence-bill-competing-proposals-expose-divisions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345756/taiwan-starts-review-defence-bill-competing-proposals-expose-divisions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Over six consecutive days since Friday, for the first time in at least three years, Beijing dispatched no warplanes near Taiwan, a pause which analysts say reflects deliberate caution ahead of this month’s Xi–Trump summit. The absence of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft near the self-ruled island from Friday through to Wednesday is the longest such pause in the past three years, according to Taiwanese defence ministry data compiled by the South China Morning Post. The number of PLA naval... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345527/looming-xi-trump-summit-behind-plas-break-air-sorties-near-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345527/looming-xi-trump-summit-behind-plas-break-air-sorties-near-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 06:07:44 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan is at risk of missing out on three US-approved weapons packages for the first time because of delays to a stalled NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special defence budget in the legislature. The unprecedented situation has prompted Defence Minister Wellington Koo Li-hsiung to urge opposition lawmakers to give the budget emergency authorisation ahead of a March 15 deadline, when letters of offer and acceptance for three arms deals will expire. If the deals – to buy M109A7 self-propelled... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344482/taiwan-may-see-us-arms-deals-fall-through-first-time-because-legislative-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3344482/taiwan-may-see-us-arms-deals-fall-through-first-time-because-legislative-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has appealed for public support amid a dispute about a special military budget, warning that the deadlock could delay key weapons deliveries and send the island down the US arms supply priority list. The NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special budget has been repeatedly blocked by opposition parties, even as Taipei has come under increasing US pressure to prove its commitment to its own defence. Analysts warn that continued delays could weaken perceptions... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343466/taiwan-defence-budget-delays-may-push-island-down-us-priority-list-william-lai-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343466/taiwan-defence-budget-delays-may-push-island-down-us-priority-list-william-lai-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 06:00:18 +0000 Lawrence Chung,William Zheng Lawrence Chung,William Zheng Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s sweeping victory in Sunday’s snap election has sounded alarm bells in Beijing, which is wary that closer ties between Tokyo and Taipei could complicate its long-term objective of reunifying Taiwan. Beijing’s annual work conference on Taiwan affairs, held on Monday and Tuesday, came just after Japan’s lower-house election, in which Takaichi’s party secured a two-thirds supermajority. At the event, Wang Huning, the Communist Party’s fourth-ranked leader,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343095/how-sanae-takaichis-big-win-japan-may-complicate-beijings-taiwan-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343095/how-sanae-takaichis-big-win-japan-may-complicate-beijings-taiwan-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) on Monday reaffirmed its view of mainland China as “family” as the party’s vice-chairman departed for talks with counterparts in Beijing. The trip by Hsiao Hsu-tsen has drawn fierce criticism from Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and reignited debate over the island’s cross-strait strategy. Hsaio, who is leading a 40-member delegation to a think tank forum with the Communist Party of China, said the visit was aimed at creating a more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342127/kmt-stresses-family-ties-mainland-china-vice-chair-begins-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342127/kmt-stresses-family-ties-mainland-china-vice-chair-begins-beijing-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:30:11 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang The Communist Party and the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan’s main opposition party, will revive a long-stalled dialogue channel next week to navigate cross-strait tensions and discuss plans to promote industrial cooperation. Beijing confirmed on Wednesday that the think tank forum would be held in the Chinese capital on February 3, according to an announcement by Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO). The party-to-party channel, known unofficially as the Communist... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341569/communist-party-and-kmt-revive-forum-stalled-decade-cross-strait-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3341569/communist-party-and-kmt-revive-forum-stalled-decade-cross-strait-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:21:11 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang The Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) appear to be in the final stages of talks to revive an inter-party forum suspended nine years ago. The three-day forum, designed to facilitate party-to-party communication and promote cross-strait exchanges, was scheduled to start in Beijing on January 27, Taiwan’s China Times newspaper reported on Friday. If it takes place, it will be the first time the event has been held since 2016, when it was suspended because of tensions between the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339374/are-communist-party-and-kmt-reviving-cross-strait-political-channel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339374/are-communist-party-and-kmt-reviving-cross-strait-political-channel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:01:08 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung The US “decapitation-style” operation against Venezuela’s leadership has heightened concerns in Taiwan that Beijing could one day attempt a similar strike against the island, even though Taipei has played down such a possibility. The anxiety has been amplified by the People’s Liberation Army’s two-day drills around Taiwan last week, parts of which simulated joint operations aimed at paralysing political and military command structures – a scenario analysts say echoes elements of leadership... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338812/us-decapitation-strike-venezuela-sparks-pla-copycat-fears-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338812/us-decapitation-strike-venezuela-sparks-pla-copycat-fears-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 13:03:24 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Taiwan’s legislature passed a motion on Friday to start impeachment proceedings against the island’s leader, William Lai Ching-te. The Legislative Yuan voted 60 to 51 in favour of the motion that argued that the leader undermined the self-ruled island’s constitutional order and democracy. Lawmakers are expected to vote on impeachment on May 19, according to the legislature’s procedures. The impeachment motion came after Lai’s administration failed to enact an amendment passed by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337841/taiwans-lawmakers-vote-start-impeachment-process-against-william-lai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337841/taiwans-lawmakers-vote-start-impeachment-process-against-william-lai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 12:31:34 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China, Russia clash with US at UN over Venezuela oil seizures and naval pressure China accused the United States at the United Nations of violating international law and destabilising the Caribbean region, as Washington defended its seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers and vowed to intensify pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government. 2. Beijing is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3337629/china-russia-clash-us-un-scientists-benefits-lard-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3337629/china-russia-clash-us-un-scientists-benefits-lard-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:15:07 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang All eyes are on how Beijing’s “Chinese dream” of eventual Taiwan reunification will unfold at a time when the leader of the United States – Taipei’s top international backer – appears less likely to intervene in case of a cross-strait conflict. In the second of a three-part series, Amber Wang looks at the challenges facing the new Kuomintang leader. There have been seven chairs of the Kuomintang, Taiwan’s main opposition party, since President Xi Jinping took the top job in Beijing in 2012. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337517/can-beijing-count-taiwans-kmt-advance-reunification-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3337517/can-beijing-count-taiwans-kmt-advance-reunification-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 22:00:11 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao Recent months have witnessed an important shift in the political landscape across the Taiwan Strait, one that deserves careful consideration from policymakers in Asia, Europe and the United States. Despite considerable global turbulence, years of rising tensions in Asia and external pressure, there are emerging signs of stabilisation and even fresh momentum for peaceful momentum towards unification between mainland China and Taiwan. Taiwan’s political environment has evolved significantly since... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335902/momentum-peaceful-reunification-across-taiwan-strait-growing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3335902/momentum-peaceful-reunification-across-taiwan-strait-growing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan’s ban on mainland Chinese social media app RedNote has sparked fierce pushback on the island, making the platform a top download as users rush to access it through workarounds. The island’s interior ministry announced on Thursday it had ordered local telecoms and internet providers to block access to the app, also known as Xiaohongshu, for one year over “rising online fraud cases”. Authorities also cited a “lack of cooperation from its operator in Shanghai”. But the move has unleashed a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335652/taiwans-ban-mainland-china-app-rednote-makes-it-top-download-amid-fierce-pushback?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335652/taiwans-ban-mainland-china-app-rednote-makes-it-top-download-amid-fierce-pushback?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 01:00:17 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Taiwan has blocked RedNote, a mainland Chinese social media platform popular among young Taiwanese, citing “fraud prevention” and “information security” concerns. The criminal investigation bureau of Taiwan’s interior ministry on Thursday announced an internet shutdown and access restriction order for RedNote, tentatively for one year. Also known as Xiaohongshu, or “little red book”, RedNote is an Instagram-like lifestyle social media platform popular with youngsters around the world. Taiwan’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335386/taiwan-blocks-mainland-chinese-social-media-platform-rednote-citing-high-fraud-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335386/taiwan-blocks-mainland-chinese-social-media-platform-rednote-citing-high-fraud-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:14:23 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan is watching anxiously as it finds itself at the centre of a verbal clash between Beijing and Tokyo, fuelling fears that Taipei could be drawn into a major international conflict. Though the island’s government has openly embraced Tokyo’s stance and condemned Beijing’s response as “hegemonic”, critics and political analysts have cautioned that Taiwan is now at risk of becoming a flashpoint in a confrontation between two major world powers. The row erupted after Japanese Prime Minister... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333133/taiwan-edge-beijing-fury-erupts-over-japan-pms-survival-threat-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333133/taiwan-edge-beijing-fury-erupts-over-japan-pms-survival-threat-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:31:46 +0000 Robin Hu Robin Hu When Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump met in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, they spent nearly two hours discussing rare earths, fentanyl and trade. Taiwan, the one issue most likely to bring the world’s two largest powers into direct conflict, never came up. That silence was the message. It revealed how both leaders prefer to manage rivalry through quiet understanding rather than confrontation. The approach reduces the risk of war but narrows Taiwan’s options. The... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332430/busan-silence-how-great-power-pragmatism-rewriting-taiwans-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332430/busan-silence-how-great-power-pragmatism-rewriting-taiwans-future?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Beijing has summoned the ambassador of Japan and lodged “solemn representations” in its latest protest against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s “provocative” comments on a Taiwan contingency. Sun Weidong, China’s foreign vice-minister, summoned ambassador Kenji Kanasugi on Thursday. He expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition to Takaichi’s remarks, describing them as “egregiously wrong and highly dangerous”, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Sun said the Japanese leader’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332816/beijing-summons-japanese-ambassador-latest-protest-over-pm-takaichis-taiwan-comments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332816/beijing-summons-japanese-ambassador-latest-protest-over-pm-takaichis-taiwan-comments?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 10:00:43 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei The head of the de facto US embassy in Taiwan has invited new Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun to visit the United States, stressing that avoiding war is the top priority. The invitation from Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), came during an in-person meeting at the KMT headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, according to a statement from Taiwan’s largest opposition party. The KMT – considered friendlier to Beijing than the ruling Democratic Progressive... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332676/us-invites-kmt-chief-cheng-li-wun-washington-stresses-priority-avoid-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332676/us-invites-kmt-chief-cheng-li-wun-washington-stresses-priority-avoid-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:00:20 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words As Vietnam and the United Kingdom elevated their bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Hanoi has reached a symbolic milestone: it is now the only country in the world maintaining such a relationship with all five permanent members of the United Nations Security... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3331606/vietnam-should-expect-sterner-tests-its-diplomatic-skills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3331606/vietnam-should-expect-sterner-tests-its-diplomatic-skills?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 03:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The Communist Party’s fourth plenum communique reaffirmed the promotion of peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait and advancement of the cause of national reunification. Within a day, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee designated October 25 as the annual day of commemoration of Taiwan’s return to Chinese sovereignty – 80 years after the surrender of Japanese forces in Taiwan to the then ruling Kuomintang. This sends a telling message. The Beijing leadership... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3331024/taiwan-one-china-principle-bottom-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3331024/taiwan-one-china-principle-bottom-line?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 22:45:07 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung The choice of an outspoken former legislator as chairwoman of Taiwan’s biggest opposition party may address the growing internal fatigue with the Kuomintang’s (KMT) old guard, but analysts warn it is far from certain that what appealed to members will win over mainstream voters. Cheng Li-wun, a 55-year-old with roots in street activism and an early career inside the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), defeated 73-year-old heavyweight Hau Lung-bin in last weekend’s election... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3330318/can-kmts-new-outspoken-chairwoman-cheng-li-wun-win-over-taiwans-mainstream-voters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3330318/can-kmts-new-outspoken-chairwoman-cheng-li-wun-win-over-taiwans-mainstream-voters?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 02:00:08 +0000