Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (???), the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) candidate for the 2024 presidential election, will visit the United States next month to meet with Congress members and affirm his commitment to Taiwan’s democratic values, his campaign office said Thursday.
During the eight-day visit, Hou will also meet with Taiwanese expatriates to seek their support for his presidential bid next January, the office said in press release.
The wider purpose of the trip, however, is to lay the groundwork for deeper relations between Taiwan and the U.S. and to promote continued substantive exchanges between the two sides, the campaign office said.
Hou’s aim is to assert his commitment to the democratic system in the Republic of China (Taiwan) and its values of freedom, his campaign office said.
To this end, Hou will meet with members of the U.S. Congress and with Laura Rosenberger, chairwoman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and he will speak at some think tanks, his office said.
He is scheduled to depart Taiwan on Sept. 14, flying first to New York then later to Washington and San Francisco for his various engagements, before returning to Taiwan on Sept. 22, the press release said.
According to the office, the finer details of Hou’s visit are still being worked out, and the full itinerary and list of his delegation members will be released at a later date.
Mayor Hou will come up against Vice President Lai Ching-te (???) of the Democratic Progressive Party and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (???) of the opposition Taiwan People’s Party – the other two contenders in the Jan. 13, 2024 presidential election.
Aug. 18: VP Lai returns to Taiwan after visits to U.S., Paraguay
April 28: Ko returns from U.S., set to begin presidential bid Saturday
