Cheng, chair of the Kuomintang (KMT), is scheduled to visit China from April 7 to 12 and may meet Xi Jinping, though Beijing has not confirmed such talks. Speaking before departure in Taipei, she said the trip aimed to reduce tensions and prevent conflict, calling it a “historic journey for peace.

”The visit comes amid heightened military pressure from China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to assert control. Beijing has also refused formal engagement with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, labeling him a separatist.

Taiwanese officials said Chinese naval activity around the island remains elevated. Kuan Bi-ling reported multiple warships positioned off Taiwan’s coasts, including deployments to the east, north, northwest and southwest, underscoring what authorities described as sustained military pressure.

Separately, Chiu Chui-cheng urged Beijing to engage with Taiwan’s elected government and called on Cheng to press Chinese authorities to halt military activities, including air and naval operations near the island.

The trip takes place ahead of a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Xi in Beijing, where Taiwan is expected to feature among key issues alongside trade.Cheng’s itinerary includes stops in Shanghai and Nanjing, where she is expected to visit the mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Republic of China.

The visit marks the first by a KMT leader to China in a decade, reflecting renewed political outreach despite ongoing cross-strait tensions.

Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo told parliament that Washington had established a dedicated project team to accelerate stalled programmes and bring deliveries back on schedule.

He said several systems had already begun arriving, while delayed components were being prioritised.A key delay has involved a 2019 order for 66 F-16V fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin, equipped with upgraded avionics and radar to counter advanced aircraft such as China’s Chengdu J-20.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said at the weekend that deliveries of the F-16V jets would begin this year, with production running at full capacity.Washington prioritises TaipeiThe United States has increased its focus on Taiwan within its defence export system.

Michael Miller, director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, said last week he had signed a directive in 2023 placing Taiwan at the top of the priority list for arms transfers.

Koo said Washington’s urgency reflects a shared goal of rapidly enhancing Taiwan’s self-defence capabilities, amid what Taipei views as an escalating military threat from Beijing.

The United States is legally bound to provide Taiwan with defensive means under longstanding legislation, though it maintains no formal diplomatic ties with the island. Arms sales remain a consistent point of friction with China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly demanded that such transfers cease.

Taiwan has in recent years voiced concern over repeated delays in U.S. weapons deliveries, even as it relies on Washington as its principal security partner and supplier of advanced military systems.