People wave flags and cheer at a “Reject United Front Work, Protect Taiwan” rally on Kedao Avenue in Taipei, Taiwan, on April 19, 2025. The grassroots “Great Recall” movement has gained momentum in recent months, aiming to oust lawmakers accused of selling out Taiwan’s interests to Beijing. Sun Xiangyi/The Epoch Times
Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), elected Cheng Li-wun as chair on Nov. 1, succeeding Eric Chu and making her the second woman to hold the post. Her win arrives as the KMT is the largest party in the Legislative Yuan—without a majority—and as a KMT speaker presides over a hung parliament. That combination gives China’s ruling Communist Party a political weapon for influence: legislative leverage during a leadership handover.
Charles Davis
Author
Charles Davis is a military veteran and lecturer with an intelligence background. His military awards include: two Bronze Star Service Medals, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, NATO Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Saudi Arabia Liberation Medal, and Kuwait Liberation Medal.
