TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) told departing Australian envoy Jenny Bloomfield he hoped for a long-standing friendship between the two countries, reports said Tuesday (July 11).

On his Facebook page, Hou said he had invited Bloomfield to visit the city government on July 7. During their meeting, he expressed his support for Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported.

Hou said he hoped that after her return to Australia, Bloomfield could promote the peaceful development and prosperity created by the relationship between the two countries. The popularity of Australia as a travel and study destination for Taiwanese, trade relations, energy cooperation, and regional security were also topics of conversation during the meeting.

According to recent opinion polls, Hou is facing an uphill battle to catch up with front-runner Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and with Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) by election day on Jan. 13, 2024.