Taipei, April 19 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Monday Taiwan has consistently attached great importance to its relations with the United States and that he will work even harder during his second four-year term to further boost bilateral ties.
Chen made the remarks while meeting with Montana Governor Judy Martz who is heading a delegation of Montana State officials on a trade promotion visit in Taiwan. "We treasure our relations with the United States. In the next four years, we'll make continued efforts to further upgrade Taiwan-U.S. relations," Chen told his guest.
He further said his administration will make its communications channels with U.S. authorities even smoother than before. "In the coming four years, I'll focus on promoting economic development and political reforms. In any event, we hope that Taiwan's success story will be an asset, rather than a liability, for the United States," Chen stressed.
For her part, Martz congratulated Chen on his re-election and invited Chen to visit Montana in the near future.
Martz, an accomplished ice skater, was previously Montana's first female lieutenant governor. She was finally elected as the state's first female governor. Chen lauded Martz for her achievements in creating jobs, promoting educational reforms and controlling budget deficits during her tenure.
Chen said Montana has maintained cordial relations with Taiwan. He expressed his gratitude for the passage of resolutions by the Montana State Senate and State House of Representatives last year in support of Taiwan's bid to join the World Health Organization.
Taiwan is Montana's fifth-largest trading partner. Montana has maintained a representative office in Taipei since the early 1980s. A Taiwan trade delegation signed a preliminary agreement on procurement of wheat from Montana during its visit to the U.S. state last year. "All these point to close trade ties between Taiwan and Montana," Chen said, adding he believes that Martz's current visit will contribute to further growth in Taiwan-Montana trade and economic cooperation.
New Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen was also present at the meeting. It marked the first time that Mark Chen has accompanied a foreign dignitary to see President Chen since Mark Chen assumed office last Friday.
Douglas Paal, director of the AIT Taipei office or the de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan, was also present at President Chen's meeting with Martz.