Taiwan’s Beijing-friendly opposition leader headed to the US for meetings with lawmakers at a time when Washington’s commitment to the self-governing island has been cast in doubt. Cheng Li-wun’s trip comes weeks after she met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Though she is unlikely to secure time with President Donald Trump, Cheng is expected to make the case in Washington that Taipei should negotiate with the mainland over unification, rather than maintaining de facto sovereignty. American policy towards Taiwan is unclear, though: The US defense secretary did not mention the island in a recent speech to Asian allies, and Trump has delayed a $14 billion arms package to Taiwan.