The ruling Kuomintang’s (KMT) presumptive presidential candidate, Hung Hsiu-chu, is “carefully assessing” the possibility of making a trip to the United States. That was the word on Monday from campaign spokesman Yu Tzu-hsiang.
Hung, who is the vice president of Taiwan’s legislature, still needs to be confirmed as the party’s candidate, at the KMT’s national convention on July 19.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu has said that Hung could visit the United States in August or September. Yu said Monday that a trip would be good for Taiwan, and for the campaign. But he said that there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration, with relatively little time remaining before the elections next January.
Taiwanese presidential candidates from the major parties have made campaign stops in the United States, following a tradition set by former President Chen Shui-bian when he was running in the 2000 election.
Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairwoman and presidential hopeful Tsai Ing-wen completed a US trip earlier this month, with generally positive coverage in the local press.