A Taiwanese opposition delegation spent a week in the US on defense and energy talks, and came away with a clear signal that Washington is watching Taichung mayor Lu Shiu-yen as a likely 2028 presidential contender.

• Eight KMT lawmakers toured Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington and New York, meeting the House committee on strategic competition with China.
• The American side pressed hard on arms purchases, defense spending and whether Taiwan is serious about defending itself.
• The lawmakers pushed back on claims they block weapons budgets, saying they back key defense spending including drones.
• Lu Shiu-yen came up most often when the 2028 race was raised, and she was invited to visit again.
• Washington has grown wary of relying only on the ruling party's read of Taiwanese politics after repeated bad election forecasts.

Outlook: With the Trump-Xi meeting imminent and local elections at year's end, the KMT will keep courting Washington while Lu's national profile rises.