Taiwan's new opposition leader warns of China war

Taiwan’s new opposition leader took office yesterday, warning of the risk of war with China and pledging to open a new era of peace with Beijing.

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DEFENCE-MINDED: Newly elected opposition Kuomintang (KMT) leader Cheng Li-wun delivers her speech during the Kuomintang (KMT) 12th National Congress in Taipei yesterday.

Former lawmaker Cheng Li-wun takes the reins of the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), at a time of rising military and political tension with Beijing, which views the democratically-governed island as its own territory.

"This is the worst of times. The Taiwan Strait faces grave military danger and the world is watching closely," she told party members in a speech at an indoor high school stadium in Taipei.

"Taiwan's security faces the constant threat of war."