[Politics] Foreign media reports US visit met with 'cold shoulder'; Cheng Li-wen states Washington received her according to normal procedures
bellala 央廣3h agoEdited
Foreign media reported that Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li-wen encountered a 'cold shoulder' in Washington during her visit to the US, allegedly due to her obstruction of the defense special budget. Cheng stated today (18th) that she never naively believed that long-standing prejudices could be changed overnight, and therefore did not expect Washington to give her an unprecedented 'warm reception.' She believes Washington simply followed normal procedures and did not provide special treatment during this visit. #Listen to reporter Chao Wan-chun's interview report#
According to a Liberty Times report, the 'National Security Daily' published by the US political news website 'Politico' on the 17th, under the headline 'Washington Cold-shoulders Taiwan's Opposition Leader,' described KMT Chairperson Cheng Li-wen being 'cold-shouldered' in Washington for blocking the Taiwanese government's significant increase in defense spending. Furthermore, the US side was also displeased that the list of officials scheduled to meet Cheng was leaked in advance.
In response, Cheng Li-wen stated during a radio interview on 'Qian Qiu Wan Shi' and an online program hosted by 'History Brother' today that the US is a diverse, complex country with not just one voice, making communication more complicated. She acknowledged that long-standing misunderstandings and prejudices exist, and she never claimed the process would be easy or that she was going to Washington to receive applause and cheers.
Cheng said that regarding the many long-standing prejudices, she never naively believed they could be changed overnight. Therefore, she did not expect Washington to give her an unprecedented 'warm reception' with a different protocol than usual; everything was just a normal procedure. She also believes the outcome of this US visit far exceeded her original expectations. Cheng Li-wen: '(Original sound) I have never publicly promoted that, wow! Washington was so happy to see me, and how they treated me... No; no, I never had such unrealistic expectations. Therefore, I believe Washington was just following its normal procedures and did not give me any special treatment, nor did I ever say that Washington officials gave me special treatment.'
Cheng Li-wen also clarified that she did not leak any meeting content during her US visit, nor did she enter the US Congress through deception. She stated that she is a trustworthy politician and that mutual trust is important in the long run. 'It's not like this is the only time I'm visiting,' she added, asserting that the information obtained by 'Politico' was not factual.
Furthermore, Cheng Li-wen discussed her 'Peace Roadmap,' stating that not only must both sides of the Taiwan Strait have consensus and willingness, but the international community, especially the US, also plays an important role. She emphasized that this does not mean balancing between the US and China, but rather hoping that both the US and China can play active roles. This is why she proposed changing the Cold War mentality of the first island chain after her visit to China.
Cheng Li-wen pointed out that to change the status quo, her requirements and principles must align with the will of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. As Taiwan is a democratic society, the will of its 23 million people must be respected, and their welfare and rights must be taken care of. This must be a peaceful process, and through exchanges and interactions, both sides can enjoy the dividends of peace. (Editor: Song Wan-yuan)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215292
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