President Lai Ching-te held a policy discussion with academics and experts at U.S. think tank East-West Center Dec. 1 in Hawaii as a stopover on his seven-day trip to Taiwan’s Pacific allies, according to the Presidential Office.
The president first expressed appreciation to the center for promoting mutual understanding between the U.S. and the people of the Asia-Pacific and partnering with Taiwan on the Pacific Islands Leadership Program. He also took the opportunity to thank the U.S. for its long-standing support under the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances, adding that the first agreement under the Taiwan-U.S. Initiative on 21st Century Trade has helped open new avenues for cooperation.
Lai then delivered a speech titled “A Future of Shared Prosperity: Taiwan as a Partner for Peace and Prosperity in the Indo-Pacific Region,” in which he outlined the country’s foreign policy.
The president touched on the Four Pillars of Peace action plan, which involves strengthening self-defense, enhancing economic security, deepening ties with fellow democracies and engaging in pragmatic cross-strait dialogue. Taiwan is committed to bolstering national defense and enhancing whole-of-society resilience, Lai said, adding that recent Taiwan-U.S. partnership has demonstrated the two like-minded partners’ shared determination to safeguard peace in the Indo-Pacific.
Taiwan is also committed to leveraging its expertise to help secure global supply chains, especially in semiconductors and other high-tech sectors, Lai said. At the same time, the country is sparing no effort to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the Taiwan Strait and across the region, he added, reiterating that the government continues to transparently collaborate with Pacific allies in areas spanning agriculture, public health and climate transformation to attain the goals of democratic, diplomatic and smart sustainability.
The president set off Nov. 30 to visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, with transits through Hawaii and Guam. Themed “Smart and Sustainable Development for a Prosperous Austronesian Region,” the Pacific tour is his first overseas trip since taking office in May. (YCH-E)
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