Taipei, June 6 (CNA) Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, will visit Taiwan in a private trip next week, organizers announced Sunday.
The former governor is scheduled to arrive in Taipei Monday for the promotion of his book "Do the Right Thing" and will make an invitation-only appearance at the Taipei International Convention Center on June 8, according to Jack Hu, managing director of the visit's organizer London International Group.
Hu did not elaborate on details of Huckabee's visit, which will not be announced until Monday, but he said Huckabee may meet with local political heavyweights during his stay.
The June 8 event, called "An Evening with Governor Mike Huckabee," will begin with remarks from Huckabee and then be followed with a moderated question and answer session, Hu said.
Huckabee last visited Taiwan in June 2006 when he was still governor of Arkansas and chairman of the National Governors Association and met with former president Chen Shui-bian.
The association passed a resolution in 2003 supporting Taiwan's bid to become an observer in the World Health Assembly, and in 2005, Huckabee's state of Arkansas passed a resolution recommending the signing of a Taiwan-U.S. free trade agreement.
In his bid for the Republican nomination for President, Huckabee won eight states and more than 4 million votes in the primaries before pulling out of the race in March 2008.
Huckabee was elected as lieutenant governor of Arkansas in 1993 by special election and re-elected in 1994. He became governor in July 1996 when his predecessor resigned and was one of the youngest governors in the country at the time. He served as governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007 and has been recognized by Time Magazine as one of the five best governors in America.
Huckabee currently hosts a weekend political talk show, "Huckabee," on Fox News Channel. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls