President Tsai meets delegation from Atlantic Council
President Tsai Ing-wen met on the morning of June 22 with a delegation from the Atlantic Council, a think tank based in Washington, DC. On behalf of the government and people of the ROC, the president welcomed the visitors to Taiwan and expressed hope that they will continue to lend Taiwan their firm support and work to further enhance Taiwan-US relations.
In remarks, President Tsai noted that she had met in May 2015 with Atlantic Council Chairman Jon Huntsman, and said she was delighted to be meeting him again a year later. The president thanked Ambassador Huntsman for the letter of congratulations that he sent upon her inauguration as president, in which he offered high praise for Taiwan's democratic achievements.
President Tsai mentioned that Ambassador Huntsman basically qualifies as "half Asian" because he served a stint as a missionary in Taiwan, returned to work here for a time, and later in his career was stationed in Beijing. He is closely familiar with Taiwan's people and culture, and has a deep understanding of cross-strait affairs. The president noted that the other members of the delegation have all been to Taiwan before, and have spent years focusing on Asia-Pacific security, economic, and trade issues. The president voiced hope that her visitors can provide valuable recommendations during this trip in order to enhance bilateral cooperation.
Also included in the delegation were Rod Hunter (Senior Vice President for International Affairs, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America), Todd M. Rosenblum (Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security), Jamie F. Metzl (Nonresident Senior Fellow for Technology and National Security, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security), HuiHui Ooi (Associate Director, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security)), and Annie Medaglia (Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Energy Center).