A group of lawmakers is to visit the US on a six-day trip, starting today, to meet with US government officials and members of Congress, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said yesterday.
During the visit, the group plans to call on House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, members of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus and other government officials, their itinerary showed.
After arriving in Washington, the delegation is tomorrow to meet with Royce; Senator Cory Gardner, chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy; and Congressman Ted Yoho, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
On Wednesday, the delegation is to meet with Gregg Harper, who co-chairs the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and other caucus members, as well as visit Taiwan’s representative office in the US.
They are also that night to attend a dinner banquet hosted by Taiwan’s Representative to the US Stanley Kao (高碩泰).
Liu said the trip is aimed at giving the US more information about Taiwan’s situation, and cross-strait issues are expected to be discussed during the trip.
The two sides are also to discuss the Taiwan Travel Act, which encourages the exchange of visits by senior government officials of Taiwan and the US, and the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2019, which includes provisions to help improve Taiwan’s military capabilities, Liu said.
The delegation also includes DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), chairwoman of the Taiwan-US Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association, which is organizing the trip, and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), who is vice chairman of the association.
Others in the group are KMT legislators Lu Yu-ling (呂玉玲), Lin Li-chan (林麗蟬) and Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), and DPP lawmakers Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲), Yu Wan-ju (余宛如) and Liu.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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