A delegation comprising members of the U.S. House and Senate armed services committees reaffirmed robust relations with Taiwan based on shared values such as democracy and freedom as well as free trade Feb. 21 in Taipei City.
Led by U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, co-chair of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, the 19-strong delegation is on a three-day tour of Taiwan and has met with President Tsai Ing-wen, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Tawei Lee as well as other top government officials. They discussed issues including Taiwan-U.S. relations and regional security, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The visit demonstrates the strong bond between the two nations and provides an opportunity to further deepen their strategic partnership, the MOFA said. The government appreciates the continued support for Taiwan voiced by the U.S. lawmakers, the ministry added.
The delegation, which includes Sens. Daniel Sullivan, Joni Ernst and Michael Rounds as well as Rep. Trent Kelly, was welcomed to Taipei by MOFA Minister Lee.
Describing Inhofe as a long-time friend of Taiwan, the MOFA noted that the U.S. senator authored a letter with fellow Senate Taiwan Caucus Co-chair Sen. Robert Menendez late last year urging U.S. President Donald Trump to be mindful of Washington’s vital partnership with Taipei. The bipartisan letter, signed by 36 senators, came ahead of the U.S. president’s visit to mainland China in November 2017.
According to Inhofe, the two sides have many areas of mutual interest including energy and trade. Regarding the provision of defensive weapons as mandated by the Taiwan Relations Act, the senator said Taipei has his committee’s fullest cooperation.
Taiwan has always had the support of the U.S., Inhofe said, adding that both nations will always be each other’s best partner. (KWS-E)
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