Former US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns is scheduled to meet with President Ma Ying-jeou and Taiwan’s next president after the general election concludes.
Burns is well-respected in Washington for his rich experience in diplomacy. His Taiwan schedule will include meetings with President Ma Ying-jeou, DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, and KMT chairman Eric Chu. His goal is to communicate with the new election winner, and to discuss the post-election state of Taiwanese politics and cross-strait relations.
During Burn’s visit to Taiwan, current US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be visiting Beijing. The move is part of the US effort to establish a high level communication channel with officials in Taiwan and China in order to maintain cross-strait stability.