Washington: A delegation of cross-party lawmakers led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu departed Taiwan Saturday for the United States ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

According to Focus Taiwan, the inauguration event on January 20, originally planned to be held outdoors, will now take place indoors at the Capitol Rotunda due to expected freezing weather. In a statement, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) noted that the indoor venue would accommodate only a limited number of attendees, including members of Congress, senior government officials, and Trump's family. Consequently, many international guests, including the Taiwan delegation, will be unable to attend the ceremony.

However, the rest of the delegation's itinerary remains unchanged. This includes scheduled meetings with members of Congress, other politicians, and scholars from think tanks, as stated by MOFA. Before departing for the U.S., Han informed reporters at the Taoyuan International Airport that his delegation intends to convey their best wishes to the incoming U.S. president and vice president on behalf of Taiwan's 23 million people.

The delegation comprises lawmakers from different political parties, including Han of the Kuomintang (KMT), Wang Ting-yu, Chen Kuan-ting, and Kuo Yu-ching of the Democratic Progressive Party; Ko Chih-en, Lee Yen-hsiu, and Ko Ju-chun of the KMT; and Chen Gau-tzu of the Taiwan People's Party. During their time in the U.S., the delegation plans to engage with U.S. lawmakers and partake in exchanges with think tanks to discuss the current global situation and Taiwan-U.S. relations, according to MOFA.

The delegation is scheduled to return to Taiwan on January 24. When asked by CNA about the contingency plan due to the delegation no longer attending the inauguration, the ministry stated it had "no further comment."