Taiwan parliamentary delegation holds meetings in Washington

Washington, June 28 (CNA) A parliamentary delegation to the United States led by Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), former chair of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and convener of the Legislature's Foreign and National Defense Committee, kicked off three days of meetings with U.S. officials in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.

The delegation, which also includes KMT lawmakers Wu Sz-huai (吳斯懷), Yeh Yu-lan (葉毓蘭), and Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷), arrived in the U.S. on Sunday and met with several overseas Taiwanese organizations in Washington on Monday.

On Tuesday, the group met with Representative Mario Diaz Balart, co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and discussed issues pertaining to regional security and the talks being held under a new U.S.-Taiwan trade initiative, according to Chiang.

The delegation is also scheduled on Wednesday to meet with Representatives Chuck Fleischmann and Ben Cline, visit the Washington headquarters of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and hold discussions with Taiwan's diplomatic and military representatives in the U.S.

In an interview with CNA, Chiang said the purpose of the visit was to "represent the voice" of the Legislature and the people in Taiwan, including by working to build support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations.

The delegation's meetings will also touch on closely-watched issues such as security in the Taiwan Strait and national defense, as well on matters related to weapons sales, he said.

On Thursday, the delegation will travel to Phoenix and then to Los Angeles, where they will hold additional meetings with members of Congress in their home districts, Chiang said.

Under Chiang and its current chair Eric Chu (朱立倫), the KMT has sought to boost its credentials as a "pro-U.S." party. On June 8, the KMT reopened its liaison office in Washington, which had been closed since 2008.