President Tsai meets AIT Taipei Office Director William Brent Christensen
President Tsai Ing-wen met on the morning of August 23 with William Brent Christensen, Director of Taipei Office of American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and stated that she is confident that, based on the firm friendship and shared democratic values between Taiwan and the US, the two countries can further deepen our partnership, and join forces to defend regional peace and stability.
In her remarks, President Tsai said that on behalf of Taiwan's government and people, she was delighted to welcome Director Christensen to the Presidential Office, and welcome him back for his third tour of duty in Taiwan. She said she had just led a delegation to visit Paraguay and Belize last week, and made transit stops in Los Angeles and Houston. During the trip, the US government made appropriate arrangements based on the principles of safety, comfort, convenience, and dignity. She then took the opportunity to express her gratitude to Director Christensen for the US government's support.
The president noted that our friendship with the US has always been extremely important, and our many cooperative efforts have helped continuously deepen our bilateral relationship. For some time now, we’ve also been enhancing both the quality and quantity of reciprocal official visits, cooperation on substantive issues, and security exchanges, she said. She then thanked the US for their strong support. She went on to say she is confident that under Director Christensen’s leadership, AIT will produce even more Taiwan-US cooperative achievements, as we move toward the next milestone in our friendship.
The president pointed out that the US is Taiwan's most important security and trade partner, and the steady and stable Taiwan-US relationship has always been a cornerstone of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. But recently, she added, both Taiwan citizens and the international community have seen that China is using every conceivable means to increase pressure on Taiwan.
The president pointed that this includes a series of coercive moves like the El Salvador incident two days ago, forcing private-sector airlines to remove “Taiwan” from their websites, and even revoking our right to host an international sports competition. China's actions not only restrict Taiwan's international space, but have already undermined peace and stability throughout the region, she said.
President Tsai remarked that given the situation, we need like-minded countries to voice their concern about China's behavior within the region. That includes oppressing Taiwan by all means possible, changing the status quo, subverting the rules-based international order, and even interfering in other countries' domestic affairs. The US government has often stated that Taiwan is a democratic success story, a reliable partner, and a positive force in the international community, and this is the voice of justice that the people of Taiwan anticipate, she added.
The president emphasized that we will definitely defend our sovereignty, uphold our national dignity, continue to strengthen our self-defense capabilities, and protect our free and democratic way of life. For the people of Taiwan, this is the bottom line, and a self-evident truth that cannot be challenged. We will continue to be a force for regional stability and justice. We will never give up our commitment to goodwill, democracy, and freedom due to China's intimidation, she said.
Noting that our region is changing fast, the president said that we are very pleased that someone like Director Christensen, someone who knows Taiwan, is familiar with cross-strait relations and regional security issues, and has extensive practical experience as a diplomat, is representing the US government in Taiwan. She then expressed confidence that Director Christensen will be an indispensable aid to the development of Taiwan-US relations.
President Tsai noted that as Director Christensen mentioned, AIT will soon be marking the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, an important milestone. She also said that she's sure that, based on our firm friendship and shared democratic values, Taiwan and the US can continue to deepen our partnership, and join forces to defend regional peace and stability.
After President Tsai's remarks, Director Christensen delivered remarks of his own, saying that he was honored to represent the United States as the new AIT director, and that he looks forward to deepening Taiwan-US relations. Commenting on the recent break in diplomatic ties between Taiwan and El Salvador, he emphasized that the United States was deeply disappointed by the decision. As the White House stated in its recent announcement, El Salvador's receptiveness to China's apparent interference in the domestic politics of a Western-hemisphere country is of grave concern to the United States, and will result in a reassessment of its relationship with El Salvador. He added that China's unilateral efforts to alter the status quo are unhelpful, and undermine the framework that has enabled peace, stability, and development in the region for decades. The United States, he said, will continue to support Taiwan as it expands its significant global contributions, and resists efforts to constrain its appropriate participation on the world stage.
Director Christensen pointed out that Taiwan is a reliable partner, and an important player in the Indo-Pacific region. The United States knows that Taiwan shares its interests and values, and relies on Taiwan to promote regional peace and stability. The United States and Taiwan, he affirmed, stand together to protect what we hold most dear: our freedom, our democracy, and our future. Director Christensen also expressed confidence that America's relationship with Taiwan today is as good as it has ever been, and said he looks forward to taking our relationship to new levels of friendship and cooperation.