Today, Cheng runs the KMT from its Taipei headquarters, where her chairperson’s office boasts the eclectic talismans of her unconventional journey: a cuddly kangaroo, a model Xiaomi electric car, and a jade Buddha statue guarding her desk. “I’m a very devout Buddhist,” Cheng tells TIME.
Cheng’s stunning transformation from Taiwanese independence zealot to leader of the self-ruling island’s China-friendly opposition is illustrated by another office adornment: a framed copy of the China Daily newspaper documenting her April meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, under the headline “Xi calls for closer bonds across Strait.”