Recognition of Taiwan’s democratic society, economic development and high-tech prowess by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in his address on the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy is deeply appreciated, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs July 31.
Taiwan looks forward to working in partnership with the U.S. and like-minded countries throughout the region on fostering a peaceful, prosperous and stable Indo-Pacific, the MOFA said.
The ministry’s statement came a day after Pompeo made the remarks during his speech at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington.
In his address, Pompeo discussed the U.S.’s long-established diplomatic and economic ties across the region, outlined U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s strategy for a free and open Indo-Pacific, and emphasized that no party will be excluded for U.S. efforts to achieve its vision.
Commenting on U.S. engagement with regional partners, Pompeo said that “in Taiwan, economic development went hand-in-hand with creating an open, democratic society that blossomed into a high-tech powerhouse.”
According to the MOFA, high-level U.S. officials have repeatedly affirmed Taiwan’s role in the Indo-Pacific strategy, including U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Alex Wong as well as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Randy Schriver. They highlighted the matter while speaking at the annual banquet of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei in March and during a seminar at the Heritage Foundation in July, respectively.
At the event in Taipei, Wong described Taiwan’s democracy as an example for the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan can no longer be excluded unjustly from the international arena, he said, adding that it has much to contribute in such fields as humanitarian relief, public health and sustainable development.
Taiwan and the U.S. enjoy deep and long-standing cooperation in areas spanning digital economy, energy, public infrastructure and trade, the MOFA said. Examples of this staunch partnership include joint workshops under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework since 2015 as well as Taiwan’s participation in the annual SelectUSA Investment Summit, the ministry added. (KWS-E)
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