President Tsai Ing-wen said Dec. 20 that Taiwan will continue to cooperate with the U.S. and other like-minded partners to ensure stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific while contributing to regional trade and economic development.
Tsai made the remarks while receiving a U.S. House delegation at the Presidential Office in Taipei City. Led by Rep. John Curtis, the group comprises Reps. Burgess Owens, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Michelle Steel.
The president thanked the U.S. Congress for its longstanding support for Taiwan, as evidenced by the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act endorsing military sales. Congress upholds the U.S. commitment to help Taiwan defend democracy and strengthen the country’s security, she added.
According to Tsai, the group members’ support for Taiwan’s participation in the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change is deeply appreciated by the government and people. Taiwan is accelerating development of renewable energy sources, Tsai said, citing a pathway to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 released in March and an action plan spanning 12 key strategies to be announced by the end of this year.
The government hopes to kick-start negotiations for signing a high-standard trade agreement with the U.S. through the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade, Tsai said, calling on the U.S. to continue supporting the country’s bid to engage in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
In response, Curtis said Taiwan has become a strong and vibrant democracy since he first visited the country 40 years ago. The delegation’s visit also conveys the message that Taiwan’s prosperity is a bipartisan and bicameral issue important to the U.S., he added.
Highlights of the delegation’s itinerary include an audience with Vice President Lai Ching-te; a banquet hosted by Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu; visits to the Legislative Yuan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Mainland Affairs Council, and the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Administration; as well as meetings with green energy and environmental protection businesses and organizations. (YCH-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw