GOP Representatives Set to Meet Taiwan's Opposition Leader

WHO:

ABC News - House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., and Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., are meeting with Cheng Li-wun, leader of the Kuomingtang Party.

AP News - Cheng Li-wun is the leader of Taiwan’s Beijing-friendly opposition party.

WHAT:

ABC News - Two leading House Republicans are meeting with Taiwan’s opposition leader.

AP News - Taiwan’s opposition-controlled legislature passed a $25 billion special defense budget to fund major U.S. arms purchases.

AP News - The approved defense budget is a significant reduction from Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's original $40 billion proposal.

ABC News - Trump administration officials expressed disappointment regarding the reduction in the defense budget.

WHERE:

ABC News - The meeting is taking place in Washington, D.C.

WHEN:

ABC News - Cheng’s visit to Washington is occurring this week.

ABC News - Trump intends to speak with Lai, which would be the first direct dialogue between sitting U.S. and Taiwanese presidents in decades.

WHY:

ABC News - The meeting comes at a time when China is scrutinizing the Trump administration's posture toward Taiwan.

AP News - Kim plans to encourage Cheng and her party to support more defense spending as an important demonstration of Taiwan’s commitment to self-defense and deterrence.

HOW:

ABC News - Mast stated, “I take intelligence from anywhere I can get” regarding his expectations for the meeting.

AP News - Kim wants to discuss Cheng’s meeting in April with Chinese President Xi Jinping to seek greater clarity on the substance of those discussions.

ABC News - Trump has indicated he wants to speak with Lai as his administration considers whether to proceed with a $14 billion arms sale for Taipei that Congress approved earlier this year but has been on hold.

(UPDATED June 11, 2026 08:30 UTC)

In a significant diplomatic move, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast and Rep. Young Kim are meeting with Cheng Li-wun, the leader of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomingtang Party, in Washington, D.C. This meeting comes as Taiwan's opposition-controlled legislature has passed a $25 billion special defense budget, a notable reduction from the original $40 billion proposal, which has drawn disappointment from Trump administration officials. Kim aims to encourage Cheng to support increased defense spending to demonstrate Taiwan's commitment to self-defense, while Trump is expected to speak with Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, marking the first direct dialogue between sitting U.S. and Taiwanese presidents in decades.