Taiwan People’s Party outlines itinerary of chairman’s U.S. trip

"Cross-strait peace and a sovereign Taiwan" will be the basic theme voiced by Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (???) when meeting politicians and academics during a visit to the United States in April, a TPP official said Monday.

Ko, expected to be the TPP's formal candidate in the 2024 presidential race by the time he heads to the U.S. on April 8, will exchange views on cross-Taiwan Strait relations with people in the U.S., TPP Secretary-General Chou Tai-chu (???) told a news conference.

He will also thank the U.S. administrative and legislative branches for their support of Taiwan in recent years, Chou said.

"Stuck between China and the U.S., Taiwan, though a small country, deserves a voice to make the two big powers understand that peace across the Taiwan Strait serves everyone's interest, and Taiwan's interest must be prioritized," Chou said.

The impact of a war across the Taiwan Strait could be 10-times worse than that of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Chou warned, citing the result of an analysis by a U.S. think tank.

"Taiwan will not provoke war, and is not afraid of war. But the precondition to not being afraid of war is that Taiwan must be fully prepared for war and strengthen its defense forces to deter the occurrence of war," Chou cited Ko as saying.

According to Chen Chih-han (???), spokeswoman for Ko's office, a 20-member TPP delegation comprising Ko, former Deputy Taipei Mayor Huang Shan-shan (???) and Chou, will leave for New York on April 8.

While in New York, the delegation will attend seminars at Columbia University, meet with Taiwanese expatriates and visit the Council for National Policy.

On April 12, the mission will fly to Boston as well as hold symposiums with academics from Harvard University and visit biotech companies.

Ko will be in Washington from April 16 to 21, where he was slated to give a speech and visit the Brookings Institution, the Department of State, and various members of Congress.

On April 21, Ko will travel to Houston, where he will visit Rice University and the MD Anderson Cancer Center before concluding his U.S. trip and flying back to Taiwan from New York on April 27.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Recent Posts