Taiwan's Nationalist Party Elects First Female Leader Amid Cross-Strait Tensions and Chinese Interference Claims

The Nationalist Party continues to wield substantial political influence across Taiwan despite recent presidential defeats.

Taipei:

Taiwan's prominent opposition Nationalist Party elected former lawmaker Cheng Li-wun as its new chairperson on Saturday in a contested leadership race overshadowed by allegations of Chinese interference.

Cheng Li-wun, the sole female candidate who presented herself as a reformist, secured a decisive victory over former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin and four other contenders for leadership of the China-friendly party. Despite losing three consecutive presidential elections to the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the Nationalists, commonly known as the KMT, maintain significant political power in Taiwan.

The party currently holds enough legislative seats to form a majority coalition with its allies and successfully withstood two recall elections earlier this year. These recall efforts emerged from public concerns over lawmakers passing legislative changes perceived as reducing executive authority and favoring China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory.

Set to assume office in November, Cheng will likely shape Taiwan's approach to Beijing relations and influence key domestic and international policies. She will lead the party through the 2026 local elections and the 2028 presidential race against incumbent President Lai Ching-te.

During her campaign, Cheng promised to transform the KMT from a collection of "sheep" into "lions," aiming to regain support from younger voters. Interestingly, Cheng was previously affiliated with the DPP.

Beijing maintains particularly tense relations with President Lai, whom it labels a separatist. China has repeatedly threatened military action to bring Taiwan under its control if necessary and has intensified military, diplomatic, and economic pressure to undermine Lai's administration.

Historically, the KMT has maintained warmer relations with Beijing, including reciprocal political visits and exchanges. KMT supporters view these connections as beneficial for Taiwan's stability and economy, while critics worry about Beijing's growing influence.

In the week preceding the election, Jaw Shaw-kong, a Hau supporter within the party, alleged organized interference from China, citing videos attacking Hau while supporting Cheng.

Taiwan's National Security Bureau director Tsai Ming-yen reported discovering over 1,000 videos discussing the election on TikTok, plus 23 YouTube accounts posting related content, with more than half of these YouTube accounts operating from outside Taiwan. He did not specify which candidates these videos supported or directly confirm whether they originated from China.

Addressing allegations of foreign meddling, Cheng previously called for party unity and warned against internal conflict, stating it would only damage the KMT and allow rival parties to exploit divisions, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, stated on Wednesday that the election was an internal KMT matter and emphasized that views expressed by mainland Chinese internet users did not represent the government's official position.

The Nationalist Party rose to prominence in China during the 1920s under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek, fighting against Japanese invasion and later Mao Zedong's communist forces, before retreating to Taiwan with remaining supporters when Mao's revolutionaries seized power. Taiwan began transitioning from martial law to multiparty democracy in the 1980s and conducted its first direct presidential election in 1996.