Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia (夏立言) left Taiwan for a 10-day visit to the US on Thursday.
This was part of the party’s efforts to strengthen ties with Washington.
Speaking with reporters at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Hsia did not reveal the details of his trip, saying only that he would meet with many “old friends” in Washington, as well as KMT members in San Francisco.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Hsia denied that his sojourn aimed to provide a counterweight to former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) ongoing visit to China, saying that the timing was “purely coincidental.”
The KMT has consistently maintained the policy pursued during Ma’s presidency of “being close to the US, friendly to Japan and in harmony with China,” he said.
It had been some time since he had visited the US, Hsia said, adding that he would seek to demonstrate the party’s emphasis on its relations with Washington during the trip.
Hsia and KMT International Affairs Department head Alexander Huang (黃介正) had been invited by the Center for Strategic and International Studies to attend the Washington-based think tank’s US-Japan-Taiwan Track 2 trilateral tabletop exercises, the KMT said in a statement on Wednesday.
Hsia would also call on Taiwanese expatriates in San Francisco and Washington, the KMT said, adding that US government officials and friends at US think tanks had invited him for talks after learning of his upcoming visit.
The KMT said that it has continued to beef up its party diplomacy after the presidential and legislative elections in January.
Hsia’s US trip follows a visit by KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) to Singapore in February.
Hsia is scheduled to return to Taiwan on April 15.
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
EVA Airways on Saturday said that it had suspended a pilot and opened an investigation after he allegedly lost his temper and punched the first officer several times as their plane was taxiing before takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport. According to a report published on Thursday by The Reporter, the incident occurred after the flight’s Malaysian first officer tried to warn the Taiwanese pilot, surnamed Wen (文), that he was taxiing faster than the speed limit of 30 knots (55.6kph). After alerting the pilot several times without response, the first officer manually applied the brakes in accordance with standard operating
The New Taipei City Social Welfare Department on Thursday celebrated Paralympic competitor Chen Tzu-wei (張孜維), who received last year’s national Golden Eagle award for exemplary achievement by Taiwanese with disabilities. Chen, who suffers from childhood-onset muscular dystrophy, did not attend the first award ceremony held by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in November due to illness. Chen was formally presented with the award at the department, where he gave thanks to government workers for supporting his education and livelihood, the department said in a statement. Chen was raised by the Ai-hsin Home for Persons with Disabilities in the city’s Bali District (八里)
RSS