TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, elected a firebrand new leader on Saturday who opposes increased defence spending but pledged to ensure peace with giant neighbour China.

Former lawmaker Cheng Li-wun, who will take over as leader on November 1, won the election at a time of rising military and political tensions with Beijing, which views the democratically-governed island as its own territory. Taiwan’s government strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims.

While the Kuomintang (KMT) lost the presidential election last year, the party and its ally the small Taiwan People’s Party together hold the most seats in parliament, creating a headache for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party trying to get the budget and its legislation passed.

The KMT tradit

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