TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Heritage Foundation senior research fellow Steve Yates on Thursday called KMT leader Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) wish to meet US President Donald Trump “impractical, ill-advised, and ridiculous.”
Yates said Cheng’s request was unrealistic and out of step with most Taiwan voters and many in her own party. He also said it would undermine the Trump administration’s top defense goals in the Indo-Pacific, Liberty Times reported.
He said Cheng’s comments would help Beijing’s efforts to divide and pressure Taiwan. He added that her approach would bring no benefit to US national interests, per SETN.
On Thursday, Cheng told Bloomberg she had requested to meet Trump. She said the meeting would support peace, though she admitted it “could be very difficult” to arrange.
Cheng said a Trump statement opposing Taiwan independence would match the KMT’s position and help build trust with Beijing. She said there was a major difference between Washington saying it “does not support” Taiwan independence and saying it “opposes” it.
Cheng said cross-strait relations would improve quickly if Taiwan independence was no longer an option. She recently visited Beijing and met Chinese leader Xi Jinping, where she said the strait should not become a geopolitical flashpoint or a chessboard for outside powers.
Cheng plans to visit the US for about 10 days in June to meet officials and Taiwanese communities. She was asked if she believed Xi approved of the trip, and replied, “Yes, of course.”
