President Tsai Ing-wen said Aug. 23 that the government is committed to deepening cooperation with the U.S. across the board to ensure greater stability and prosperity for the people of both sides.
Taiwan is working to achieve this goal by strengthening bilateral trade ties, Tsai said. This is evidenced by last week’s announcement of the upcoming start of formal negotiations under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade framework, she added.
Tsai made the remarks while receiving a delegation from the Hoover Institution based at Stanford University in the U.S. Led by James Ellis, co-chair of the Hoover Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region and former commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, the group includes Larry Diamond, senior fellow at Hoover; Matthew Pottinger, distinguished visiting fellow at Hoover; Michael McFaul, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia; and Thomas Stephenson, former U.S. Ambassador to Portugal.
According to Tsai, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlights the continued expansion of authoritarianism, while China’s recent military exercises in the waters surrounding Taiwan have posed significant threats to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the region. Standing on the front line, Taiwan is committed to strengthening alliances to jointly defend against interference by authoritarian states and protect peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, she said.
Tsai took the opportunity to thank the U.S. and other Group of Seven industrialized nations for their staunch support of Taiwan, which has strengthened the country’s determination to consolidate its self-defense capabilities. The visit by a delegation from Hoover Institution at this critical moment is particularly meaningful, she said.
In response, Ellis described Taiwan as an open society and one of the world’s most dynamic and innovative economies. The importance of the shared values of democracy, freedom of expression, and respect for the rule of law to Taiwan’s continuing security should not be underestimated, he said. (DL-E)
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