President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday met with American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chair Laura Rosenberger at the Presidential Office in Taipei, with both sides expressing the wish to continue to deepen bilateral ties.
Rosenburger arrived in Taiwan on Monday and is expected to stay until Sunday.
Tsai thanked Rosenberger for accompanying her during her stopover in the US two weeks ago.
Photo: CNA
She also thanked her for her efforts to help Taiwan, resulting in closer Taiwan-US relations and giving Taiwan more breathing space on the international stage.
Rosenberger’s aid was instrumental to the US’ donation of 4 million COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tsai said.
“We believe that Ms Rosenberger’s more than two decades of experience in Indo-Pacific affairs will bring more vitality and strengthen US-Taiwan relations, foster regional freedom and prosperity,” Tsai said.
Rosenberger took over from former AIT chair James Moriarty on March 20.
The US is a solid partner that shares Taiwan’s values of democracy and freedom, Tsai said.
She thanked the administration of US President Joe Biden for its mention of the Taiwan Relations Act, the “six assurances” and the announcement of nine batches of arms sales to Taiwan, which would help the nation boost its defense.
Taiwan and the US closely collaborate in the areas of economy, culture and education, she said.
Rosenberger’s attendance at the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan’s annual Hsieh Nien Fan banquet yesterday shows the importance that the US attaches to its economic and trade ties with Taiwan, Tsai said.
Tsai said that she hoped Taiwan-US relations would continue to deepen, including through the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-Century Trade.
She also expressed hope that the two sides would sign an agreement to avoid double taxation, which would provide better grounds to foster prosperity in the region.
Rosenberger said she was honored to have accompanied Tsai during her stopover in the US.
This is her first time traveling to Taiwan since 2017 and first as AIT chair, she said.
“The AIT is responsible for managing the unofficial relations between the US and Taiwan; regular travel to Taiwan and engagement with you [Tsai] is a key part of that responsibility,” Rosenberger said.
Taiwan is a valued friend and an important trade partner, and is critical in maintaining peace and stability, Rosenberger said, adding that she “looked forward to working with you [Tsai] and your team in the months ahead.”
‘DANGEROUS GAME’: Legislative Yuan budget cuts have already become a point of discussion for Democrats and Republicans in Washington, Elbridge Colby said Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and Taipei must raise defense spending to deter Beijing, US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, Elbridge Colby, said on Tuesday during his US Senate confirmation hearing. The nominee for US undersecretary of defense for policy told the Armed Services Committee that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China and that he is “profoundly disturbed” about its perceived reluctance to raise defense spending closer to 10 percent of GDP. Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first team,
SEPARATE: The MAC rebutted Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is China’s province, asserting that UN Resolution 2758 neither mentions Taiwan nor grants the PRC authority over it The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN. Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but
CROSSED A LINE: While entertainers working in China have made pro-China statements before, this time it seriously affected the nation’s security and interests, a source said The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) late on Saturday night condemned the comments of Taiwanese entertainers who reposted Chinese statements denigrating Taiwan’s sovereignty. The nation’s cross-strait affairs authority issued the statement after several Taiwanese entertainers, including Patty Hou (侯佩岑), Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜) and Michelle Chen (陳妍希), on Friday and Saturday shared on their respective Sina Weibo (微博) accounts a post by state broadcaster China Central Television. The post showed an image of a map of Taiwan along with the five stars of the Chinese flag, and the message: “Taiwan is never a country. It never was and never will be.” The post followed remarks
INVESTMENT WATCH: The US activity would not affect the firm’s investment in Taiwan, where 11 production lines would likely be completed this year, C.C. Wei said Investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the US should not be a cause for concern, but rather seen as the moment that the company and Taiwan stepped into the global spotlight, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday alongside TSMC chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家). Wei and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday announced plans to invest US$100 billion in the US to build three advanced foundries, two packaging plants, and a research and development center, after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on chips made
RSS