President Tsai Ing-wen met with a U.S. delegation led by Sens. Chris Coons and Maggie Hassan at the Presidential Office April 28 in Taipei City, pledging to deepen the robust security partnership between the two sides.
Strong security collaboration is underscored by U.S. support for enhancing Taiwan’s national defense capabilities through such measures as regular arms sales, Tsai said. This cooperation is crucial to regional peace and stability and in the shared interests of all members of the Indo-Pacific community, she added.
As the two sides mark the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA40), the president expressed gratitude for firm bipartisan backing of Taiwan in the U.S. Congress.
Evidence of this support is provided by the introduction of the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019, Tsai said. This proposed legislation is targeted at cementing ties in areas spanning security and trade, as well as bolstering Taiwan’s international participation.
According to Tsai, Taiwan is willing and able to expand its contributions to the global community, and looks forward to boosting the Taiwan-U.S. partnership based on the solid foundation built over the past four decades.
Echoing the president’s remarks, Coons said that the purpose of the delegation’s visit is to reinforce strong relations consistent with the TRA. Discussions during the group’s stay in country are expected to span issues like the Taiwan-U.S. economic partnership and regional security, he added.
Noting that this marked her first visit to East Asia, Hassan said that she was delighted to conclude her multicounty trip in the vibrant city of Taipei and witness firsthand Taiwan’s economic strength and entrepreneurial spirit. (HC-E)
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