Taiwan’s KMT opposition party reopens US office to have a greater voice in Washington

The office was set up this year and will be officially opened next month when party chairman Eric Chu visits America

The ruling DPP has increased its influence over US policymakers by maintaining an office even when in power, but the KMT shut its office in 2008

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The KMT is keen to make its voice heard in Washington. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:00pm, 8 May 2022Updated: 2:14pm, 9 May 2022

Corrected [2:14pm, 9 May, 2022]

[2:14pm, 9 May, 2022]
This story has been amended to correct Eric Huang's title.

Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, will reopen its representative office in the United States next month in an effort to promote its views among American politicians and academics.

Eric Chu, the party’s chairman, will lead a group of KMT officials and experts to Washington and three other US cities for a 12-day visit beginning on June 1, when Chu will officially open the office and meet American officials to exchange views on security, cross-strait relations, defence and other issues.

“We will focus our visit in Washington where arrangements have been made for the chairman to meet members of the US national security team, including those from the White House, National Security Council, Department of State and Department of Defence,” said Alexander Huang, the KMT’s international affairs director and head of the representative office in Washington.

Huang said Taiwan-US relations were multifaceted and the two sides were expected to touch on issues including politics, trade, and health.

“The American side also wants to know what would be the KMT’s views about cross-strait and Indo-Pacific strategic situations in the next five to 10 years and its ability to maintain cross-strait peace and stability,” Huang said.

He said Chu had been invited to deliver a keynote speech in Washington, at an event organised by two or three American think tanks, outlining the KMT’s stance on these matters as well as ways the party could improve its communications with the United States.