US Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is to arrive today for a four-day visit and attend Double Ten National Day celebrations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
Johnson, chairwoman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology, is to take part in National Day events in Taipei on Monday, and meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang (唐鳳), the ministry said in a statement.
The 86-year-old representative is also to visit the National Space Organization in Hsinchu to discuss possible ways to further bilateral science, space and technology partnerships, the ministry said.
The Democrat from Texas has supported Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, such as the WHO and International Civil Aviation Organization, over her nearly three decades in the US Congress, it said.
Johnson’s trip — bringing the total number of US lawmakers to visit this year to eight — would demonstrate the Congress’ support for Taiwan, the ministry said.
In a separate statement, the ministry said 19 Japanese parliamentarians arrived in Taiwan earlier yesterday for a three-day visit.
The group, consisting of lawmakers from the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council, a 270-member group dedicated to promoting Taiwan-Japan relations, would join Japanese lawmaker and council chairman Keiji Furuya at the National Day celebrations, the ministry said.
Furuya arrived in Taiwan earlier this week for the Yushan Forum. He and the group are to meet with Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫?) and former speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), who is chairman of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, the ministry said.
Before returning to Japan tomorrow, they are also to pay their respects to former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) at the military cemetery in New Taipei City where the late president is buried, it said.
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