Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is set to depart today for a visit to the US where she is to hold talks with US lawmakers, officials, and policy experts on Taiwan-related issues, a KMT official said yesterday.
KMT representative to the US Victor Chin (秦日新) said that during Cheng’s stay, she would meet members of Congress from the Republican and Democratic parties and participate in closed-door discussions at think tanks, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The discussions would center on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, regional security and the future of Taiwan-US relations, he added.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Sources said Cheng is also scheduled to give talks and meet people at several universities, including Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia University.
The delegation is scheduled to return to Taiwan on June 16 after visiting San Francisco, Boston, New York, Washington and Los Angeles, sources said.
Cheng’s 14-member delegation is expected to include Chin, Taiwan’s former representative to the US Jason Yuan (袁健生) and KMT Central Standing Committee member Chin Peng-chen (勤彭蓁).
Chin Peng-chen is also a businessperson serving as executive deputy supervisor of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland and is president of the Kunming Taiwan Business Association.
She has previously drawn scrutiny for endorsing the so-called “1992 consensus” as embodying the “one China” principle and expressing hope that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait could soon be unified.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) yesterday said that bringing Chin Peng-chen, who aligns closely with Beijing’s rhetoric regarding Taiwan, raises concerns that Cheng is bringing Beijing’s rhetoric to the US and leaving behind “the real voice of Taiwan.”
More than 80 percent of public opinion polls and multiple elections have shown that Taiwanese support the idea that the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and that they do not accept unification under Beijing, Wang said.
Even within the KMT, there is likely concern that if Cheng promotes Beijing’s narrative, it would be a major setback for the party, as Taiwanese voters would ultimately punish politicians and parties that are seen as selling out Taiwan, he said.
Cheng should bring Taiwan’s true voice to the US rather than framing Beijing’s narrative as peace, while in practice undermining Taiwan’s sovereignty, he said.
Addition reporting by Lin Che-yuan and CNA
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS