President Tsai meets delegation led by new American Institute in Taiwan Chairman James Moriarty
On the afternoon of October 25, President Tsai Ing-wen received a delegation led by James Moriarty, the newly appointed chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). In addition to welcoming Chairman Moriarty to Taiwan, the president also expressed hope for continued enhancement of Taiwan-US exchanges and cooperation.
In remarks, President Tsai noted that Chairman Moriarty is a very senior international affairs specialist and diplomat who has spent a third of his career of 30-plus years handling US, Taiwan, and mainland China affairs. As such, he is deeply familiar with Asia-Pacific affairs.
President Tsai mentioned that Chairman Moriarty and his wife are old friends of hers, because they have interacted and worked together in the past. To meet again with Chairman Moriarty in Taipei so many years later, and with the both of them holding very different positions than before, calls to mind many fond memories. Indeed, she said, there is something quite stirring about this occasion, for it reinforces her faith that Taiwan-US exchanges and cooperation will continue uninterrupted, and the two sides will continue to build on previous successes.
President Tsai stated that Taiwan and the US have more than just common interests; they also have a deep and enduring friendship. In the future, with the participation and influence of Chairman Moriarty, Taiwan-US relations will certainly continue to be enhanced and consolidated. In addition, the two sides bear a shared responsibility to maintain Asia-Pacific regional peace and stability by fleshing out their framework for dialogue and engaging in increased and tangible cooperation.
On behalf of the government and people of Taiwan, President Tsai once again thanked the US for abiding by the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, thus supporting Taiwan's security and democracy through concrete action. She also thanked the US for maintaining a positive and proactive attitude toward Taiwan's participation in international organizations, and said she strongly hopes Chairman Moriarty will continue to help Taiwan take part more fully in international affairs.
President Tsai stressed that Taiwan is willing and able to contribute to international society. Over the past several decades, we have worked together with the US and many other international friends to provide humanitarian aid, improve public health, and eliminate poverty, and the successes achieved to date are widely recognized. Taiwan is not big compared with the US, but the two countries have a shared commitment to democracy, human rights, and justice. "A friendship, to be irreplaceable," said the president, "must be based on shared beliefs. Taiwan is firmly committed on this point."
After the conclusion of President Tsai's remarks, Chairman Moriarty then delivered remarks of his own, saying he felt quite honored to address an old friend as "president." He expressed confidence that President Tsai will certainly be able to lead Taiwan to a brighter future.
Taiwan-US relations have been enhanced in recent years, said the chairman, who attributed this progress in bilateral ties to the increasing consolidation of Taiwan's democracy. President Tsai is Taiwan's first female president, and the Democratic Progressive Party enjoys a legislative majority, so the people of Taiwan undoubtedly have high expectations of the president. That puts her under a lot of pressure, he said, but it also means that Taiwan has an opportunity for further development.
Chairman Moriarty pointed out that the US and Taiwan have maintained stable and close cooperation in recent years in many different fields, and that US support for Taiwan has kept growing stronger. This could not have been foreseen 15 or 20 years ago. Now, more Americans understand that Taiwan is a prosperous and mature democratic society. They also comprehend Taiwan's regional importance. In the future, the US strongly hopes that Taiwan can play a more important role in the region. One way to do this, he said, would be to expand bilateral cooperation via the US-Taiwan Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF).
Chairman Moriarty also mentioned that the post of AIT chairman is a dream appointment for him. In the future, he will continue to closely observe Taiwan's development and lend every possible assistance, working together with Taiwan to create a better future.