The main opposition party in Taiwan, the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT), has elected a new leader that is even more enthusiastic about developing closer relations with China. The KMT was the loser in a long civil war with the communists, and fled mainland China for Taiwan in 1947. Recently, the KMT lost control of Taiwan, to a party backed by the majority of Taiwanese (who are native to Taiwan, not descended from the refugees the KMT brought to Taiwan in the late 1940s.) China hopes to negotiate a union deal with the KMT, although most Taiwanese are more interested in independence.