KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun Announces US Trip, Hints at Meeting with Pentagon Officials

KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun announced today that she will lead a delegation to the United States. She stated that in Washington D.C., she will meet with federal government officials, including those from the Taiwan desk, the State Department, and the Department of Defense. Regarding the level, subjects, and content of these meetings, she will respect past precedents and keep them confidential. Cheng held a press conference this afternoon to announce the trip. She will fly to San Francisco later today to hold a symposium with scholars at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. She will then travel to Boston to visit Harvard University and MIT. After the Boston leg, she will head to New York for discussions with major think tanks. In Washington D.C., in addition to meeting with members of Congress and administrative officials, she will also hold discussions with key think tanks. After concluding her East Coast visit, she will fly to Los Angeles to meet with the overseas community. When asked by the media about the level of her meetings with US administrative officials, Cheng reiterated that she would meet with federal officials across various systems. Regarding whether she would meet with US President Donald Trump, Cheng said that after her meeting with CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping, international media have been concerned about whether she would meet with Trump. She said she is certainly willing, but since the severance of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and the US, there has been no precedent for meeting a sitting US president, though she does not rule out any possibility. Cheng emphasized that she has previously stated in interviews that she is willing to do anything and meet anyone beneficial to peace, including Xi Jinping and, of course, Trump, especially as he is a key decision-maker and leader. The KMT delegation includes Yuan Jian-sheng, Qin Ri-xin, Dong Jia-yu, Wu Liang-yi, Sun Wen-shi, Lin Zi-dou, and Chen Yi-xin.