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2016-05-21
中文
President Tsai meets Palau President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. and other foreign dignitaries

President Tsai Ing-wen met on the morning of May 21 with Palau President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr., Republic of the Marshall Islands President Hilda C. Heine, Republic of El Salvador Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugo Roger Martinez Bonilla, Swaziland's King Mswati III, Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sosene Sopoaga, and St. Christopher and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris. President Tsai extended a warm welcome to all of her guests and thanked them for coming to Taiwan to attend the inaugural activities for our 14th-term president and vice president.

At her meeting with Palau President Remengesau and his wife, President Tsai lauded President Remengesau as a renowned statesman in the Pacific region. Under his outstanding leadership, Palau has undertaken major construction projects. Palau, President Tsai noted, has also devoted extensive efforts to promoting marine conservation and sustainable development in the Western Micronesia eco-region where it is located, and their accomplishments have been widely acclaimed. Examples include the Micronesia Center for Sustainable Future (MCSF) and the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS), both key projects promoted by President Remengesau's administration. Given that Taiwan and Palau are both surrounded by ocean, President Tsai remarked that marine conservation is also extremely important for our country, and that she looks forward to working hand-in-hand with Palau on this important issue.

President Tsai went on to say that Taiwan and Palau are not far from each other geographically. She noted that our national airlines, China Airlines and TransAsia Airways, both have regularly scheduled direct flights, and flying from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Palau only takes about four hours, making travel between the two countries highly convenient. Such favorable conditions are all the more reason for the two countries to strengthen cooperation on all fronts, including economics and trade.

President Tsai then recalled that Palau suffered a serious drought at the beginning of this year, leading to a water crisis. Upon receiving news of the disaster, the Taiwan government swiftly dispatched aid in the form of monetary donations and air shipments of drinking water to help Palau respond to the drought. Taiwan has also faced natural disasters and water shortages, the president said, so we fully understand the serious consequences they can inflict on a country's agricultural industries and overall economy. Besides offering empathy, Taiwan has provided various forms of aid within our capabilities. The president noted that thankfully, the drought has now receded in Palau and its water supply has returned to normal; we look forward to Palau's tourism and economic development also returning to normal as quickly as possible.

President Tsai noted in her meeting with Marshall Islands President Heine that Ms. Heine is no stranger to Taiwan. While serving as the Marshall Islands' minister of education, she visited our country in June of 2014 at the invitation of the Taiwan government – evidence of our close bilateral relationship marked by frequent interactions between high-level government officials.

President Tsai pointed out that Taiwan and the Marshall Islands are actively cooperating in areas such as cultivating talent. Over the years, many Marshall Islands students have come to Taiwan to study and participate in training and research activities, yielding outstanding results. The president said that Taiwan will continue to deepen its cooperation with the Marshall Islands in education and other areas. She hopes that both countries will continue to uphold the spirit of mutual benefit and strengthen substantive bilateral cooperation, so as to realize our shared aspirations for co-prosperity.

In her meeting with El Salvador Minister of Foreign Affairs Martinez Bonilla, President Tsai noted that it has been over 80 years since Taiwan and El Salvador first established diplomatic relations in 1933, creating an alliance marked by sincere friendship. Current El Salvador President Salvador Sanchez Ceren took office in June of 2014, and four months later dispatched Mr. Martinez Bonilla to visit Taiwan. During that visit, a letter of intent on bilateral cooperation was signed, cementing a five-year plan for cooperative projects, all of which are currently running smoothly and yielding significant achievements.

President Tsai expressed sincere thanks for the long-term and staunch support that successive Salvadoran governments have given for Taiwan's participation in international organizations and activities, and especially for inviting Taiwan's minister of foreign affairs to take part in the Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracy. She also reaffirmed our government's willingness to spare no effort to strengthen bilateral cooperation, and our hope that Mr. Martinez Bonilla will continue to support Taiwan in international occasions. The president then asked Mr. Martinez Bonilla to extend best wishes to El Salvador President Sanchez Ceren on her behalf.

President Tsai, at her meeting with King Mswati III of Swaziland, said that April of this year saw both a commemoration marking Swaziland's 48th anniversary as an independent nation and King Mswati III's 48th birthday. Likewise, diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Swaziland, established in 1968, are already in their 48th year. Our two countries, she stated, have a longstanding and stable friendship, and she has high hopes that this cooperative bilateral relationship will continue to advance in all areas.

During her meeting with Tuvalu Prime Minister Sopoaga, President Tsai noted that this trip marked his 13th visit to Taiwan, reflecting the deep friendship between our two countries. The prime minister is also concurrently serving as chairperson of the Smaller Island States (SIS), an important organization under the framework of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). Taiwan, said the president, has participated in PIF meetings for many years, and hopes that bilateral cooperation and exchanges with Tuvalu will continue to grow. President Tsai also expressed sincere gratitude for Tuvalu's support for Taiwan at successive meetings of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The president then met with St. Christopher and Nevis Prime Minister Harris. She noted that Prime Minister Harris is an old friend, this being his tenth visit to Taiwan, and that since diplomatic ties were established, our two countries have enjoyed a stable alliance and deep friendship.

President Tsai also noted that on the 22nd of this month, Prime Minister Harris and his delegation will be heading to the Penghu Islands to inspect the tourism industry on Taiwan's offshore islands. Taiwan authorities have already made the relevant arrangements for their visit. The president is sure that the warmth and friendliness of Taiwanese people and our culture will make a deep impression on Prime Minister Harris. President Tsai then thanked St. Christopher and Nevis for speaking out on Taiwan's behalf at UN activities and in UN organizations for many years. She expressed hope that St. Christopher and Nevis will continue to support Taiwan, and step up exchanges and cooperation in the fields of tourism and education.

President Tsai Ing-wen meets with Palau President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr.
President Tsai meets with Palau President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr.
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On the morning of August 5, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson. In remarks, President Lai thanked former Prime Minister Johnson and the UK government for the attention and support they have shown Taiwan and for underlining the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait at numerous venues. Noting that Taiwan and the UK share the universal values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights, the president said that Taiwan looks forward to deepening cooperation with the UK for mutually beneficial development and to contributing even more to the international community. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to start by extending a very warm welcome to former Prime Minister Johnson, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time to deliver a keynote speech at the Ketagalan Forum. Mr. Johnson is the third former UK prime minister to visit Taiwan, following Margaret Thatcher and Liz Truss. I am confident that his visit will advance exchanges between Taiwan and the UK. Let me take this opportunity to thank former Prime Minister Johnson and the UK government. When the UK government under then-Prime Minister Johnson’s leadership held the G7 presidency in 2021, the G7 leaders’ communiqué for the first time mentioned the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. At many bilateral and multilateral events since then, the UK has consistently underlined its firm position on maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, further consolidating international support for Taiwan. In a concrete step to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Spey made a passage through the strait in June. In the same month, the UK government released its National Security Strategy 2025, which notes that the Taiwan Strait is central to global trade and supply chains. It adds that the UK does not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and will continue to strengthen ties with Taiwan in a wide range of areas, underpinned by shared democratic values. These efforts of the UK government, beginning with Mr. Johnson as prime minister, have contributed substantially to Indo-Pacific security.  In recent years, Taiwan-UK economic and trade relations have continued to reach new milestones. In 2023, we signed the Taiwan-UK Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) arrangement. This was the first institutionalized economic and trade framework between Taiwan and a European country. This June, we signed three pillar arrangements under the ETP covering investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero emissions, demonstrating the determination of both sides to strengthen our economic and trade cooperation. Taiwan and the UK share the universal values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. Taiwan sincerely looks forward to deepening cooperation with the UK for mutually beneficial development and to contributing even more to the international community. Former Prime Minister Johnson then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for the invitation. He noted that this is an absolutely crucial time for the whole world and a time of great uncertainty. Echoing President Lai’s earlier remarks, he said that Taiwan is at the very forefront in the struggle between freedom and democracy on one side and autocracy on the other side. Former Prime Minister Johnson said that he is in Taiwan because he has always wanted to come here and because he is fascinated by the incredible achievements of this country, not least in microprocessors and cuisine. He then congratulated President Lai on his agenda for Taiwan, saying that he fully supports the Five Trusted Industry Sectors and the increase in defense spending to three percent of GDP. Former Prime Minister Johnson stated his belief that there is absolutely no case for the current Chinese bullying of Taiwan, emphasizing that Taiwan is a free and peaceful society that does not deserve to be intimidated in this way. He added that there is no point in such actions, and that he hopes it stops as soon as possible. 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President Lai attends opening of Ketagalan Forum: 2025 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue  
On the morning of August 5, President Lai Ching-te attended the opening of the Ketagalan Forum: 2025 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan holds a key position on the first island chain, making it a keystone of Indo-Pacific peace and stability. The president noted that the government has been moving forward with the Four Pillars of Peace action plan, remains committed to ensuring peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and will deepen partnerships with other democratic nations to advance global prosperity and development. He stated that Taiwan is also taking the initiative to enhance its whole-of-society defense and resilience, expanding civil participation, and through military-civilian cooperation, is boosting its self-defense capabilities. 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This year’s forum centers on three major themes: Indo-Pacific regional security, whole-of-society defense strategies in democratic countries, and the strategic integration of economic, technological, and industrial diplomacy. These themes are all closely linked with Taiwan’s national development. I’m confident that this year’s forum will enable Taiwan and democratic partners from around the world to achieve even greater consensus on ways we can work together for a more secure Indo-Pacific and more prosperous world. Over the past year, the international landscape has become more and more volatile. The Russia-Ukraine War is still ongoing, and conflict in the Middle East has only intensified. Meanwhile, China’s military activities in the Taiwan Strait and East and South China Seas pose unprecedented challenges to the rules-based international order. As authoritarianism continues to expand, democratic nations must join even closer in solidarity to defend our values. 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I’m confident that if democracies can join hands in creating more robust, more resilient global democratic supply chains, we can spur even more economic prosperity and further consolidate our democracy. To all dear friends of Taiwan: In this turbulent global landscape, Taiwan stands on the frontline of authoritarian threat, which is also the forefront of the global defense of democracy. Thus, we know how precious peace is; and we recognize that peace in the Taiwan Strait is not just a regional issue, but a shared responsibility for economic stability and security around the world. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will stand with the world’s democracies to face challenges, uphold the rules-based international order, defend peace through strength, and protect our hard-earned free and democratic way of life.  Once again, thank you for participating in this dialogue, and for standing with Taiwan. I wish you all lively and productive discussions today, and a great stay in Taiwan. Thank you. Also in attendance at the event were former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former French National Assembly President François de Rugy. Additionally, 12 high-ranking officials, scholars, and experts from 10 countries, including the United States and Japan, as well as countries in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, were invited to engage in in-depth discussions with officials, scholars, and experts from Taiwan.  
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President Lai meets delegation from US Foundation for Defense of Democracies
On the afternoon of August 1, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the United States-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). In remarks, President Lai stated that as authoritarianism expands, only by working closely together can the global democratic community protect our shared values of freedom and democracy and way of life. The president said that deepening the strategic economic and trade partnerships between Taiwan and the US will not only help strengthen our cooperation with other like-minded partners in key and innovative technologies, but also ensure supply chain security, which is consistent with the national security interests of Taiwan, the US, and all of our democratic partners. President Lai also expressed hope that further Taiwan-US exchanges and cooperation will enable us to continue to deepen and consolidate democracy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I extend a warm welcome to this delegation from the FDD. It is a great pleasure to meet with so many dear friends of Taiwan again. The FDD holds a key position among think tanks based in Washington, DC. In addition to conducting research on issues relating to US national security, it also frequently issues policy recommendations and specialist reports that help actively realize its goal of safeguarding democratic values from authoritarian threats. I would like to express my appreciation to the FDD for its long-term focus on Taiwan and for continuing to increase the attention paid to Taiwan’s defense and social resilience. I also hope that the experts and scholars in this delegation can provide Taiwan with optimal insights into these issues. In recent years, China has continued to ramp up military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait and East and South China Seas. The expansion of authoritarianism is not only altering the global security framework, but also challenging the rules-based international order in an unprecedented way. Only by working closely together and adopting appropriate countermeasures can the global democratic community protect our shared values of freedom and democracy and our way of life that values human rights. In addition to demonstrating the determination to defend itself, Taiwan will also fulfill its important responsibilities as a member of the international community. Taiwan will continue to strengthen its national defense, build economic security, demonstrate stable and principled cross-strait leadership, and promote values-based diplomacy to enhance cooperation with democracies around the world. Together, we can safeguard regional peace and stability and advance global prosperity and development. The world has seen the crucial role that Taiwan plays in technological supply chains. In addition to the semiconductor industry, Taiwan can also strengthen cooperation with the US in other key technological fields, including national defense technologies and AI. Deepening the strategic economic and trade partnerships between Taiwan and the US will not only help strengthen our cooperation with other like-minded partners in key and innovative technologies, but also ensure supply chain security. This is consistent with the national security interests of Taiwan, the US, and all of our democratic partners. Taiwan greatly cherishes our deep friendships with all, and we look forward to further Taiwan-US exchanges and cooperation enabling us to continue to deepen and consolidate democracy. Former US Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger then delivered remarks, indicating that on this visit, the delegation is working together with the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology and others across Taiwan’s society, as well as with guests from Japan, Australia, and Europe, who joined them this week to conduct tabletop exercises. He added that they carried out work to test their assumptions about various scenarios that could occur if there are attempts made to intimidate or coerce Taiwan and other free societies. Mr. Pottinger said that he and his colleagues were impressed with the Taiwan team that participated in the tabletop exercises for their creativity and resourcefulness, which he said gives him great confidence that Taiwan and its friends will be able to deter or respond to any intimidation or crisis. Mr. Pottinger then stated in Mandarin that free nations are innovative, resource-efficient, and resilient under the threat of authoritarian states, and that free nations also have trustworthy friends. He concluded his remarks by thanking President Lai for meeting with the delegation, saying that they look forward to their discussion.
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President Lai delivers remarks on US reciprocal tariff policy response
On the morning of August 1, President Lai Ching-te delivered remarks at the Presidential Office on the response to the reciprocal tariff policy of the United States. President Lai explained that technical consultations with the US are finished, but as the final concluding meeting has not yet taken place, 20 percent has been set for Taiwan as an interim tariff rate. The president said that Taiwan will work towards a more favorable and reasonable rate in the subsequent negotiations, and that the US has expressed its willingness to continue talks. He added that a support plan for Taiwan’s export supply chain in response to US tariffs has been proposed to assist small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in responding to the US tariff policy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Earlier today, the US government informed our lead negotiator, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君), that an interim tariff rate for Taiwan has been set at 20 percent. Since April 2, when the US introduced its new tariff policy targeting countries worldwide, Taiwan has actively engaged in four in-person rounds of negotiation and multiple discussions over videoconference with the US government. Throughout the process, both sides have negotiated in good faith based on the shared goal of addressing the trade deficit between Taiwan and the US and creating complementary and mutually beneficial outcomes. Although we have achieved an interim reduction in the tariff rate from 32 percent to 20 percent at this point in the negotiations, 20 percent was never our goal. We hope to work towards a more favorable and reasonable rate for Taiwan in the subsequent negotiations, and the US has expressed its willingness to continue talks. We have finished technical consultations, but as the final concluding meeting has not yet taken place, a final tariff rate has not yet been reached. This is the reason for the setting of an interim tariff rate. I extend my sincere gratitude to Vice Premier Cheng and Minister without Portfolio of the Executive Yuan Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮) for working tirelessly over the past few months leading the negotiation team, remaining on call whether in Taiwan or the US. From here in Taiwan I, along with Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), and Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安), have also provided full support to our negotiating team in the US. Regardless of the final tariff rate, Taiwan’s industries will inevitably be impacted. I am deeply grateful to Premier Cho for proposing on April 4 a support plan for Taiwan’s export supply chain in response to US tariffs, and for holding over 20 industry consultation sessions. The special budget has also been increased from NT$88 billion to NT$93 billion. This special act has already been submitted to the Legislative Yuan and passed review. I hope that the Executive Yuan will promptly submit the budget request for legislative review so that the special budget can be implemented as soon as possible to assist SMEs in responding to this new US tariff policy.
中文
2025-08-01
President Lai delivers remarks on US reciprocal tariff policy response
On the morning of August 1, President Lai Ching-te delivered remarks at the Presidential Office on the response to the reciprocal tariff policy of the United States. President Lai explained that technical consultations with the US are finished, but as the final concluding meeting has not yet taken place, 20 percent has been set for Taiwan as an interim tariff rate. The president said that Taiwan will work towards a more favorable and reasonable rate in the subsequent negotiations, and that the US has expressed its willingness to continue talks. He added that a support plan for Taiwan’s export supply chain in response to US tariffs has been proposed to assist small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in responding to the US tariff policy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Earlier today, the US government informed our lead negotiator, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君), that an interim tariff rate for Taiwan has been set at 20 percent. Since April 2, when the US introduced its new tariff policy targeting countries worldwide, Taiwan has actively engaged in four in-person rounds of negotiation and multiple discussions over videoconference with the US government. Throughout the process, both sides have negotiated in good faith based on the shared goal of addressing the trade deficit between Taiwan and the US and creating complementary and mutually beneficial outcomes. Although we have achieved an interim reduction in the tariff rate from 32 percent to 20 percent at this point in the negotiations, 20 percent was never our goal. We hope to work towards a more favorable and reasonable rate for Taiwan in the subsequent negotiations, and the US has expressed its willingness to continue talks. We have finished technical consultations, but as the final concluding meeting has not yet taken place, a final tariff rate has not yet been reached. This is the reason for the setting of an interim tariff rate. I extend my sincere gratitude to Vice Premier Cheng and Minister without Portfolio of the Executive Yuan Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮) for working tirelessly over the past few months leading the negotiation team, remaining on call whether in Taiwan or the US. From here in Taiwan I, along with Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), and Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安), have also provided full support to our negotiating team in the US. Regardless of the final tariff rate, Taiwan’s industries will inevitably be impacted. I am deeply grateful to Premier Cho for proposing on April 4 a support plan for Taiwan’s export supply chain in response to US tariffs, and for holding over 20 industry consultation sessions. The special budget has also been increased from NT$88 billion to NT$93 billion. This special act has already been submitted to the Legislative Yuan and passed review. I hope that the Executive Yuan will promptly submit the budget request for legislative review so that the special budget can be implemented as soon as possible to assist SMEs in responding to this new US tariff policy.
中文