President Tsai Ing-wen said April 16 that the stable development of Taiwan-U.S. relations is indispensable to safeguarding a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The U.S. is a close and reliable friend of Taiwan, with the two sides enjoying extensive collaboration in areas spanning culture, economy, politics and security, Tsai said. Taiwan is committed to strengthening this robust strategic partnership based on shared democratic values, she added.
Tsai made the remarks while receiving a delegation from Washington-based think tank American Enterprise Institute at the Office of the President in Taipei City. Led by Danielle Pletka, AEI’s senior vice president for defense and foreign policy studies, the six-strong group is visiting Taiwan April 15-19.
According to Tsai, bilateral relations have seen several positive developments over the past year such as the recent promulgation of the Taiwan Travel Act. This legislation will facilitate high-level exchanges between the two sides and further expand across-the-board cooperation, she said.
Signed into law March 16, the act states that it should be the policy of the U.S. to authorize officials at all levels to travel to Taiwan to meet with their counterparts and allow high-level officials from Taiwan to enter the U.S. under conditions that demonstrate appropriate respect for the dignity of such officials.
Other recent moves include U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s announcement of a major arms package as well as the reaffirmation of the Taiwan Relations Act in the 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy Report, Tsai said.
The president also highlighted the U.S. Department of State’s decision to grant a marketing license necessary for American companies to sell Taiwan technology required for domestic submarine development. Such measures bolster national defense and promote regional peace, prosperity and stability, she said. (KWS-E)
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