President Tsai Ing-wen received a delegation from U.S.-based think tank Project 2049 Institute at the Presidential Office April 10 in Taipei City, pledging to keep cooperating with the U.S. to safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
The group is led by Randall G. Schriver, chair of the institute and former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs.
The president welcomed the group’s visit on the 45th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act. She thanked the White House, Congress and the U.S. private sector for continuing to deepen cooperation and friendship with Taiwan.
According to Tsai, the two sides have continued to strengthen their security partnership in recent years. Examples include regular arms sales to Taiwan under the TRA and Six Assurances and the first-ever approval of funding for Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing program, she said.
While the U.S. is fulfilling its commitments to Taiwan, Taiwan is taking steps to enhance its self-sufficiency in national defense, as evidenced by the recent deliveries of several domestically produced corvettes and the Narwhal prototype, the first indigenously developed submarine, she said.
Tsai also thanked Taiwan’s friends at Project 2049 Institute for their long-term commitment to cross-strait and Indo-Pacific security, as well as their valuable suggestions on expanding Taiwan-U.S. relations.
In response, Schriver began by offering his thoughts and prayers to those affected by the recent earthquake.
The chair went on to say that the TRA serves as a vehicle for the two sides to expand economic, security and military ties. He thanked Tsai for her investment in the bilateral relationship, as well as for her inspirational leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. (SFC-E)
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