Taiwan's opposition leader pursues talks with Beijing ahead of Trump visit

Before President Trump visits Beijing next month for a high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader will already be laying the groundwork on the one issue beyond tariffs and trade spats that remains the flashpoint in relations with the US. Taiwan, and the billions of dollars in arms sales the United States makes with the self-governing island Beijing considers its territory. Xi has made no secret of his ambition to unify Taiwan with the mainland, nor of his disdain for its elected president William Lai, who views Taiwan as its own country. To defend against any attack, Lai's government wants a huge boost in defense spending, $40 billion over the next 8 years, much of it to be spent on American-made weapons. That's where Johnny Han comes in, Taiwan's main opposition leader, who wants closer ties to China, which makes her a polarizing figure here. The world views the Taiwan Strait as the she says. I have high expectations for cross-strait reconciliation. Han has even accepted a rare invitation from Xi to visit him weeks ahead of the US president. Her strategy, she says, embrace Beijing to avoid all-out war. And so, as China has stepped up military drills around the island, Han's nationalist party has also blocked government efforts to boost defense spending, despite the US urging Taiwan to commit more to its armed forces. Do you believe that US support is still there for Taiwan? It's very crucial and the important for us to have solid US support for Taiwan. What makes Han's turn toward China more dramatic is that she used to be on the other side, a student activist calling for Taiwan's independence, criticizing the very party she now leads. People here would love better cross-strait relations, but people's attitudes towards the People's