Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) is to depart tomorrow for the US at the head of a DPP delegation of lawmakers, party officials and advisers.
During the 10-day trip, he plans to gather support ahead of next year’s presidential election.
Cho is to travel to Washington, New York, Boston and Philadelphia, where meetings have been scheduled with US representatives and influential figures from policy research institutions and think tanks, to exchange views and to discuss the current political situation in Taiwan.
It is to be Cho’s first trip to the US as DPP chairman, after assuming the position in January.
Cho is also to meet with the Formosan Association for Public Affairs and Taiwanese-American organizations, DPP spokesperson Lii Wen (李問) said yesterday.
“Cho is to deliver keynote addresses at these gatherings, as he has been invited to several events, summer camps and conventions organized by Taiwanese-American organizations,” Lii said. “Cho will thank them for their resolute support of Taiwan, and helping to safeguard Taiwan’s freedom and democracy.”
Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋), one of the DPP lawmakers in the delegation, said that Taiwanese-American organizations often hold conventions and youth camps in the summer, and always take an interest in Taiwan’s political situation.
“Cho, as the chairman, will report on what is happening in the party. We have many Taiwanese-Americans in US, and Cho will talk about party policies and direction. Cho can consolidate their support, and urge them to return to Taiwan to vote in next year’s election,” Lee said.
However, there are different factions among the Taiwanese-American community, and Taiwanese organizations in other countries.
Former premier William Lai (賴清德) challenged Tsai for the DPP’s presidential nomination, and a number of prominent Taiwanese nationalist figures backed Lai’s campaign, while others have called for smaller parties that promote Taiwanese independence to be supported instead.
Cho on Wednesday visited independence advocate Huang Hua (黃華), who has been fasting inside Taipei Main Station for more than a month.
The move was seen as a conciliatory gesture to Huang and pro-Taiwanese independence groups.
It was the second time that Cho has visited Huang since he began fasting on May 19.
Huang has only been drinking a small qunatity of fruit juice and milk each day.
The 81-year-old has said that he and several pro-green factions believe that the DPP has lost its founding ideals.
Huang was jailed for 23 years by the former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government.
When he began his fast, Huang made public his manifesto, and asked Taiwanese to sign a petition to declare a new Taiwanese nation.
He called on pro-Taiwanese independence organizations and small parties to form a new political group, with the aim of replacing the KMT as the second-largest party after the DPP.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
A white king snake that frightened passengers and caused a stir on a Taipei MRT train on Friday evening has been claimed by its owner, who would be fined, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. A person on Threads posted that he thought he was lucky to find an empty row of seats on Friday after boarding a train on the Bannan (Blue) Line, only to spot a white snake with black stripes after sitting down. Startled, he jumped up, he wrote, describing the encounter as “terrifying.” “Taipei’s rat control plan: Release snakes on the metro,” one person wrote in reply, referring
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
An inauguration ceremony was held yesterday for the Danjiang Bridge, the world’s longest single-mast asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, ahead of its official opening to traffic on Tuesday, marking a major milestone after nearly three decades of planning and construction. At the ceremony in New Taipei City attended by President William Lai (賴清德), Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), the bridge was hailed as both an engineering landmark and a long-awaited regional transport link connecting Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里)
RSS