President Tsai Ing-wen received a delegation led by U.S. Sen. John Hoeven at the Presidential Office in Taipei City April 13, pledging to expand Taiwan-U.S. cooperation on all fronts.
Taiwan and the U.S. are staunch partners who share values of freedom and democracy, Tsai said. In January this year, the two sides held a second round of negotiations under the Taiwan-U.S. Initiative on 21st Century Trade, she added.
It is hoped that the partners will sign a double taxation avoidance agreement to create a more favorable business environment, driving further growth and prosperity, the president said.
Tsai also took the opportunity to thank the U.S. Congress for passing a number of bills that provide strong support for Taiwan’s advancement of self-defense capabilities.
In response, Hoeven said his work with trade missions to Taiwan dated back almost 20 years, citing a delegation that he sent to Taiwan as governor of North Dakota in 2004. Hoeven said that while in the Senate, he was also involved in the signing of agreements with Taiwan in 2013, 2015 and 2019.
The U.S. and Taiwan must continue joint work on economic policies, as well as in microchips, agriculture and security issues, he said, adding that the U.S. is very concerned about aggression from China in the Taiwan Strait.
The senator said Taiwan has been a very good friend to his state, the U.S. and to him personally. It is important that the two sides continue to stand and work together for peace and prosperity, he added. (SFC-E)
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