TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) stopped in New York City over the weekend to meet with overseas Taiwanese residents during her US visit.
Following her visit to Boston, she visited New York City’s Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, where she met Chairman Wu Rui-hsien (伍銳賢) on Saturday. Afterward, she stopped in Chinatown, where she placed flowers at a memorial statue of Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), CNA reported.
During her remarks, she said that democracy and freedom are essential to the rule of law and emphasized the importance of cultivating positive relations abroad. She thanked the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association for serving as an important community center for compatriots living in the US.
Lu also attended a banquet hosted by overseas Taiwanese in Flushing, Queens, where she told media that she seeks to serve Taiwan’s interests by enhancing international partnerships. She noted that the US has more sister-city relationships with Taichung than any other country and that she hopes to visit more of these US cities to increase exchange opportunities in the future.
During her remarks in Flushing, she also touted the strong relationship between Taiwan and the US and said she believes the partnership must be cherished and nurtured properly to remain strong. She said the US is an allied strategic partner that is critical to Taiwan’s development and security.
Lu said that she is willing to do her best in any capacity that will serve Taiwan’s interests. Given Taichung’s increasing importance as a center for tech and business and Lu’s popularity, she is rumored to be a potential KMT nominee for the presidency in 2028.
Lu’s next destination will be Washington, DC, where she is looking for opportunities to connect with any US officials who are willing to meet, per CNA.
