risk

National Security officials are raising concerns that the upcoming meeting
between the chairs of the KMT and CCP will give the wrong impression to
international observers.

They're warning that the meeting, set for next week, may negatively impact
international support for Taiwan.

This comes as KMT Chair Zheng Li Wen prepares to visit Jiangsu, Shanghai, and
Beijing starting one week from today.

National Security officials note that a meeting between Chinese leader Xi
Jinping and US President Donald Trump is scheduled for mid May,

They believe the timing of the Zheng/Xi meeting aims to influence policy on
US arms sales to Taiwan as the special defense budget proposals snake their
ways through legislature.

Further, they say it's a chance for Xi to show Trump that public opinion in
Taiwan is in favor of unification...

even though data from the NCCU Election Studies Center indicates that only
7.2% of the public support unification.

(AH)