TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) left for the US on Wednesday to engage in city diplomacy and promote Taiwan's national interests.

Lu is leading a delegation mainly on the US East Coast until March 21. She will visit cities across five states, including Boston, New York, and Washington, DC, per CNA. 

The trip aims to deepen national and city ties. The mayor is scheduled to meet with members of Congress and speak with overseas Taiwanese communities. She will also observe the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with the North American Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce.

Before her departure, Lu said the delegation would make every effort to voice Taiwan’s perspectives and defend its interests. Taiwan should participate in international affairs as much as possible and strive to gain broad support, the mayor added.

Lu said that as Taiwan faces external challenges, people should set aside party affiliation and unite. Her visit coincides with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai’s (陳其邁) trip to Arizona and California.

In Arizona, Chen will meet with representatives from industry, government, and academia to deepen cooperation on semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, CNA reported. In California, Chen will attend the Nvidia GTC 2026 conference and hold talks with company executives on expanding technological cooperation to build Kaohsiung’s sovereign AI system.