Taiwan's top China-policy official to visit U.S., deliver speech

Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正), head of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), will visit the United States from Sept. 6-14 and deliver a speech on cross-strait relations at a think tank in Washington, D.C., marking a rare public address in the U.S. by Taiwan's top official handling ties with China.

The visit comes at the invitation of the Heritage Foundation, where Chiu will deliver a speech on Sept. 12 (U.S. Eastern Time) titled "Maintaining the Peaceful and Stable Status Quo Across the Taiwan Strait is in Line with the Shared Interests of Taiwan and the United States," the MAC said in a news release issued Friday.

The council said Chiu's speech will outline Taipei's assessment of the recent situation in the Taiwan Strait and the government's cross-strait policy.

According to the foundation's description of the event, Chiu will "discuss the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the threat China poses to Taiwan and the region, and what the current government in Taiwan is doing to maintain a peaceful status quo and strong ties with the United States."

During the event, Chiu will also discuss with the foundation's Senior Research Fellow Steve Yates "how a free, secure, and prosperous Taiwan not only contributes to regional stability, but also makes America's position stronger on the world stage."

In addition to the Sept. 12 speech, Chiu will also meet officials from the U.S. executive and legislative branches, as well as experts at think tanks and members of Taiwanese communities in the U.S., the MAC said.

Chiu's meetings with the U.S. side will serve to "explain the government's cross-strait policy and encourage broader attention to Taiwan Strait issues," the council added.

The MAC also confirmed with CNA that it will be Chiu's first visit to the U.S. since taking office in May last year.

The last MAC head to visit the U.S. was Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), who served two terms before Chiu. Chen traveled to Washington in 2018 to deliver a speech at a seminar co-organized by the Heritage Foundation and the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy.