CHINA-TAIWAN: KMT TO OPEN AN OFFICE IN WASHINGTON DC
|
Nikkei Asia (December 16) disclosed that Kuomintang Deputy Director Eric Huang will this month open the
KMT's new office in the U.S. capital. The move is a tacit admission that the party has an image issue in
Washington, where President Tsai Ing-wen's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been warmly received
since coming to power in 2016. It also comes as a Kuomintang-sponsored referendum this on December 18
threatens to derail the prospects for a U.S.-Taiwan trade deal, which would undoubtedly please China. The
Nikkei Asia report also said the KMT held a reception for its birthday in conjunction with American
Thanksgiving in late November in what appeared to be an informal launch of its strategy of warming up to
Washington. KMT Chairman Eric Chu addressed party members, diplomats, and journalists, but said little
to suggest the party had new ideas for handling the tricky three-way relationship between Taiwan, the U.S.
and China. He said "The KMT is the party with the wisdom and the experience to preserve the cross-strait
status quo."
|