KMT chair says Taiwan would fight back against China attack

Taipei, June 19 (CNA) Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) has said that while her party seeks peace, it would not give up Taiwan's right to self-defense and would fight back if China attacked despite Taiwan not formally declaring independence.

The remarks were made in an interview with The Economist on Wednesday and released by the KMT's Culture and Communications Committee in a statement Friday.

Taiwan should not become a bargaining chip in a great-power competition, Cheng said.

Instead, it should deepen cooperation with the United States and the international community while reducing the risk of conflict through dialogue to help maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific.

The party chairwoman recently concluded a two-week tour of San Francisco, Boston, New York, Washington and Los Angeles -- branded "A Journey of U.S.-China-Taiwan Peace and Prosperity" -- during which she promoted Taiwan as a potential bridge between Washington and Beijing.

During the trip, Cheng said she sought to clarify what she saw as misunderstandings in the United States over the KMT's cross-strait and defense policies and to stress the party's desire to maintain peace and stability in the region through both dialogue and self-defense.

She reiterated that the KMT opposes a formal declaration of Taiwan independence, a position she said aligns with that of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), but added that if Taiwan refrained from such a declaration and China still chose to invade by force, "we will fight back."

Cheng said the KMT could soon propose legislation to support Taiwan's domestic drone manufacturing program and other measures aimed at strengthening the country's defense industry.

Such a bill, however, was unlikely to pass the Legislature before Xi's planned visit to the United States in September.

The KMT drew criticism last month after its lawmakers, together with the Taiwan People's Party, removed funding for Taiwan's domestic drone manufacturing program, with critics arguing the moves could undermine efforts to strengthen the country's defense supply chain.

She reiterated that the KMT seeks peace but will not give up self-defense, and will continue to engage with the United States and the international community to promote mutual understanding.