Cheng Li-wen Visits China; French Media: China Seeks to Block US Arms Sales to Taiwan

Cheng Li-wen's visit to China, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, marks the first time a KMT chairperson has visited China in 10 years. Concurrently, Taiwan's government has proposed a special budget of US$40 billion (approximately NT$1.27 trillion) for military procurement and strengthening national defense autonomy, which is currently stalled in the Legislative Yuan. Libération reported that Marianne Péron-Doise, a senior researcher at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS), analyzed that Cheng Li-wen, as a leader of Taiwan's opposition party, provides Xi Jinping with special leverage to influence cross-strait relations. Péron-Doise stated that China uses invitations and receptions to enhance Cheng Li-wen's credibility, making her appear as a leader who can offer an alternative, even if she continues to use the KMT's consistent, unoriginal discourse. Le Monde also pointed out that the Chinese authorities' reception of Cheng Li-wen aims to make the idea of a political solution credible and attempts to persuade US President Trump of the possibility of avoiding a war in the Taiwan Strait, while also blocking US arms sales to Taiwan. Trump is scheduled to visit China on May 14 and 15. According to the report, Sung Wen-ti, a Taipei-based analyst at the US think tank "Atlantic Council," stated: "Beijing will use photos of Cheng Li-wen shaking hands with Xi Jinping to show the United States that China is still willing to dialogue and still hopes to resolve the Taiwan issue through political means rather than military means, so there is no need for the US to pay too much attention to Taiwan." Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported that Cheng Li-wen's trip comes at a sensitive time, as the Legislative Yuan is discussing a budget proposal to enhance defense capabilities, and the US has publicly called for its swift passage. Against this backdrop, Cheng Li-wen's visit to China has led the ruling Democratic Progressive Party to accuse her of getting too close to China, and for the KMT, there are also political risks, as it wants to adopt a strategy to ease cross-strait relations while also worrying about public backlash. The report mentioned that beyond symbolic significance, such meetings are part of China's established strategy. China seeks to maintain political communication channels with Taiwan's opposition parties to demonstrate that bilateral dialogue is still possible, provided it bypasses the DPP authorities. The report pointed out that this approach is similar to what some analysts call the "united front" strategy, which involves supporting communication partners that Beijing deems more favorable to influence Taiwan's political debate; the implicit message is that other political options might help ease current cross-strait tensions. The report also stated that Cheng Li-wen's trip is not only significant for cross-strait relations but also reflects the US-China confrontation. Through dialogue with Taiwan's opposition parties, China attempts to weaken the argument that "only military deterrence can guarantee stability"; another goal is to persuade the US that a political solution is still feasible, implicitly intending to block US arms sales to Taiwan. (Editor: Chen Cheng-kung) 1150409