Trick or treat: Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s US trip

Highly publicized Cheng Li-wun’s US trip lasted for two weeks.  Cheng began her trip on June 1, visiting San Franciso, Boston, New York, Washington and Los Angeles.  As the leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, Cheng was regarded as a Pro-China politician.  In many occasions, Cheng openly criticized Taiwan’s current defense policy.  She favored reunification with China and led her party to block the discussion of defense budget in the Legislative Yuan.   It severely weakened the Taiwan’s defense, jeopardized the military cooperation between Taiwan and US, and opened the door for China’s invasion.     Since her meeting with China’s president Xi Jimping in April this year, Cheng felt so good that she praised Xi in her talks in Taiwan and also during her recent trip in US.  The purposes of her US visit are two folds: 1. Solidifying her leadership in KMT, and 2. Modifying her pro-China anti-US political stance.  However, US government and academic world were not that much intertest in meeting her.   From the very beginning of her trip planning, Cheng’s team could not schedule any meaningful meetings with heavy- weight congressmen.  In the meantime, the Department of State and the office of National Security Council also downgraded Cheng’s Washington’s visit.  According to news reports, Cheng was only allowed to meet the low-level government officials.

In order to sell her thoughts to the scholars, Cheng’s team originally planned to hold several meetings with scholars in Boston and Washington.   However, only open public speech was held in New York: A conversation session with Daniel Russel and Orville Schlle of Asia Society.  During her stay in Washington, Cheng claimed that she held several closed-door meetings with the senators, representatives and scholars.  She refused to reveal their names.  So it remains unclear whether Cheng actually met with those influential senators, representatives and scholars.  What embarrassed Cheng is she returned home with empty hands.  Can you imagine that a witch makes her trip to Washington, brings a box of Xi candies, and knocks the doors of congressmen’s offices.  She shouts loudly “Trick or treat”.  Obviously, Cheng intended to trick US into changing Taiwan policy.