KMT head to discuss cross-strait stability in Washington

Washington/Taipei, May 31 (CNA) The chairperson of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT), Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), will depart for the United States on Monday for a two-week visit, during which she will discuss Taiwan-related issues with American lawmakers, officials and policy experts, a KMT official said Sunday.

Cheng and her delegation will begin their U.S. visit on the West Coast with a stop in San Francisco before traveling to the East Coast, where they will visit New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston.

They will then fly to Los Angeles to meet members of the overseas Taiwanese community at the end of the trip, a source familiar with the arrangements told CNA.

Cheng is expected to arrive in the U.S. capital on the evening of June 9 and remain there through June 12, according to the KMT's representative to the U.S., Victor Chin (秦日新).

During her stay in Washington, Cheng will meet members of Congress from both the Republican and Democratic parties and participate in closed-door discussions at three major think tanks, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Chin told CNA.

The discussions will center on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, regional security, and the future of Taiwan-U.S. relations, he added.

According to the party's current plans, Cheng will also visit the Washington headquarters of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) to exchange views with U.S. officials.

Located in Arlington, Virginia, the AIT's Washington headquarters serves as a liaison between Taiwan's representative office in the United States and U.S. government agencies.

While in Washington, Cheng is also scheduled to attend a banquet with overseas Taiwanese on June 11 and participate in joint interviews with international and Chinese-language media on June 12 before departing the city later that day, according to the plans.

Her Washington stop comes amid heightened U.S. interest in the KMT's approach to cross-strait policy.

In a recent interview, AIT Director Raymond Greene said U.S. officials would likely seek clarification on whether the KMT leadership is fundamentally changing the party's political orientation, describing Cheng's upcoming visit as an opportunity to address such questions.

Responding at the time, Yin Nai-ching (尹乃菁), director of the KMT's Culture and Communications Committee, said the party has consistently upheld the Republic of China's constitutional system, followed the ROC Constitution, and opposed Taiwan independence.

Yin said Cheng would clearly explain those longstanding positions during her visit to the U.S.

As part of her itinerary, Cheng will visit the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and pay tribute to a bronze statue of the ROC's founding father, Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), in St. Mary's Square.

During her visits to New York and Boston, she will tour Columbia University, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and exchange views with representatives of think tanks, including the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and Asia Society.

The delegation comprises 14 members, including Chin, former Taiwan representative to the U.S. Jason Yuan (袁健生), and KMT Central Standing Committee members Lee De-wei (李德維) and Vivi Chin (勤彭蓁).

Other delegation members include Tung Chia-yu (董佳瑜), the director of the KMT International Affairs Department; the party's overseas affairs head Wu Liang-i (吳亮儀); and support staff.