Kuomintang presidential candidate Eric Chu is planning to go to the US from November 10 to 16. Chu is the new KMT candidate who replaced former candidate Hung Hsiu-chu just over two weeks ago.
Hung had very low support in the polls and had a very pro-China stance. The KMT said that her policy had deviated from the party line so they decided to appoint party chairman Eric Chu as the presidential candidate.
Chu had been speaking about his intentions to visit the US since his candidacy began. His rival Democratic Progressive Party candidate Tsai Ing-wen made a high profile trip to the US in June which many said was successful in alleviating US fears about the DPP’s China policy.
Chu’s first stop will be in Los Angeles next Tuesday. Then he will go to Washington DC for two days and then on to New York. On Saturday, he will fly to San Francisco where he will stay for a day before he returns to Taiwan.
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Kin Moy had recently told Chu that the US treats all the political parties and their candidates with equal respect.
The AIT is the US de facto embassy in Taiwan. Moy also said the US would build a strong relationship with whoever wins the presidential election and build on what is already a strong relationship between Taiwan and the US.