President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy reaffirmed the strong partnership between Taiwan and the US, and their commitment to safeguarding regional stability, following their meeting in California on Wednesday.
“I believe our bond is stronger now than at any time or point in my lifetime,” McCarthy told a joint news conference with Tsai following a two-hour closed-door meeting at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
The meeting was also attended by a bipartisan group of US lawmakers. It was the first meeting between a Taiwanese president and a US House speaker on US soil, and the third since Washington severed formal diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1979.
Photo: Bloomberg
“Taiwan is a successful democracy, a thriving economy, and a global leader in health and science. And whether it’s our deep commercial ties, strong people-to-people relationships, or shared values, our cooperation with the people of Taiwan continue to expand through dialogue and exchange,” McCarthy said.
He said the friendship between Taiwanese and Americans “is a matter of profound importance to the free world,” and is critical to maintaining economic freedom, peace and regional stability.
Touting Wednesday’s meeting as a “bipartisan meeting of Republicans and Democrats united together,” McCarthy said the US would honor its obligations and commitment to its shared values with Taiwan.
Photo: AFP
Tsai told the news conference that the presence of bipartisan lawmakers at the meeting and their unwavering support reassures Taiwanese that “we are not isolated, and we are not alone.”
Taiwan’s peace and democracy, which it has worked hard to build and maintain, are facing “unprecedented challenges,” Tsai said.
“We once again find ourselves in a world where democracy is under threat. And the urgency of keeping the beacon of freedom shining cannot be understated,” she said.
Photo: AFP
Tsai said that during her meeting with US congressional leaders, she reiterated Taiwan’s commitment to defending the “peaceful status quo” and highlighted the belief championed by former US president Ronald Reagan that “to preserve peace, we must be strong.”
“We are stronger when we are together,” she said.
She thanked US lawmakers for proposing initiatives to enhance Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, foster robust trade and economic ties between Taiwan and the US, and support the nation’s meaningful participation in the international community.
Photo: AFP
Tsai also paid tribute to Reagan, who she said played a crucial role in protecting and fortifying Taiwan-US relations at a time of changing diplomatic realities.
The Reagan administration’s “six assurances,” passed in 1982, as well as the landmark Taiwan Relations Act, laid the foundation for a strong and unique partnership that has lasted for more than four decades, during which Taiwan enjoyed peace, prosperity and democracy, Tsai said.
Wednesday’s meeting took place eight months after McCarthy’s predecessor, then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi, visited Taipei in August last year and met with Tsai at the Presidential Office.
Pelosi’s visit was the first by a sitting US House speaker since a trip by Newt Gingrich in 1997. It prompted China to launch week-long large-scale military drills around Taiwan, and suspend the imports of dozens of Taiwanese agricultural and food products.
Beijing has raised objections to the meeting between Tsai and McCarthy.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning (毛寧) earlier this week told a news briefing that Beijing would “take resolute measures” to protect its national interests should the two meet.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured when a man plowed his car into pedestrians exercising around a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on Monday night. Footage showing bodies lying on the pavement appeared on social media in the hours after the crash, but had vanished by early Tuesday morning, and local police reported only “injuries.” It took officials nearly 24 hours to reveal that dozens had died — in one of the country’s deadliest incidents in years. China heavily monitors social media platforms, where it is common for words and topics deemed
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
RSS