TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – New Power Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang was buying his own airline tickets to rush after President Tsai Ing-wen to Panama Saturday after he first stayed in Taiwan to support striking flight attendants.
Huang, who also serves as a legislator, had been part of a delegation of lawmakers taking part in the president’s first overseas trip since taking office last May 20.
Tsai passed through Miami and was scheduled to attend a Panama Canal ceremony on Sunday local time before moving on to Paraguay.
However, a flight attendants’ union at CAL called a strike for Friday, leading Huang to decide to stay behind in Taipei and support the industrial action.
After the airline and the union reached an agreement Friday evening following almost a full day of strike action, Huang reportedly decided to buy his own airline tickets and follow Tsai to Panama.
The politician was reportedly boarding a flight to Los Angeles Saturday evening and would transfer to Panama. His office said he would pay for the tickets himself and not have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs compensate him.
Following reports that his sudden change of mind would create extra work for MOFA staff overseas, the ministry said Huang had turned down all offers of assistance and would travel to Panama completely on his own efforts.
In the Latin American country, Tsai hopes to meet other heads of state and top officials, before moving on to Paraguay, Taiwan’s only ally in South America, where she will meet the president and address parliament.
On her way back to Taiwan, she will still make a stopover in Los Angeles. On her way out, she met the former Republican presidential contender, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.