President Tsai meets American Institute in Taiwan Chairman James Moriarty
During a meeting with James Moriarty, Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), President Tsai Ing-wen emphasized that under our New Southbound Policy, we are strengthening Taiwan's relations with countries in South and Southeast Asia through mutually beneficial cooperation. She also hopes that the United States and other countries will join us, and continue to work together for a more prosperous and stable future in the Indo-Pacific region.
President Tsai started her remarks by welcoming Chairman Moriarty and friends from AIT for another visit to the Presidential Office. She then stated that the Taiwan government noticed that in his address at the 17th annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference last week, Chairman Moriarty actively emphasized the steadfast friendship between Taiwan and the United States. He also said that since the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) nearly 40 years ago, the United States and Taiwan have built a comprehensive, durable, and mutually beneficial partnership, grounded in shared values – in particular, support for democracy and human rights. As such, maintaining Taiwan's security is even more important to maintaining Indo-Pacific security.
The president mentioned that Chairman Moriarty's comments reflect our shared commitment to the values of democracy and freedom, as well as our shared interests in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The Taiwan-US Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) is a good example. Over the past three years, the GCTF has invited over 200 experts and scholars, from more than 30 countries, to help countries in this region build capacity, and address issues like the digital divide, women's empowerment, public health, and media literacy. The Taiwan government, she said, will continue to increase the frequency, scope of issues, and number of participants in GCTF activities.
In the meantime, President Tsai emphasized, Taiwan has also continued to contribute to the Indo-Pacific region. Under our New Southbound Policy, we are strengthening Taiwan's relations with countries in South and Southeast Asia through mutually beneficial cooperation. She trusts those achievements have not gone unnoticed by our international friends, and also hopes that the United States and other countries will join us, and continue to work together for a more prosperous and stable future in the Indo-Pacific region.
In closing, the president stated that as a responsible member of the international community, over the past two years Taiwan has worked to strengthen indigenous defense capabilities. She is pleased to see that the Trump administration announced its second round of arm sales to Taiwan, strengthening our domestic defense capabilities. It is also heartening to see US officials on different occasions stress their plan to promote Taiwan-US security cooperation and exchanges. Those efforts are indispensable to maintaining regional peace and stability.
Chairman Moriarty then delivered his remarks, and said that it was a great pleasure to be back in Taipei and to have this opportunity to call on President Tsai. He said that his visit was an opportunity to take stock of the flourishing US-Taiwan relationship and our comprehensive, durable, and mutually beneficial partnership. That relationship is grounded in our shared interests, and, just as importantly, in our shared values, in particular our support for democracy and human rights. Together, the chairman remarked, we have made significant achievements across the security, economic, commercial, and people-to-people pillars of the relationship.
Chairman Moriarty stated that he was honored that President Tsai joined them this past June to dedicate AIT's new, state-of-the-art office complex — an important and enduring symbol of the close ties that link the people of the United States and Taiwan. This week, he said, he will be participating in the Joint Committee meeting of the GCTF to plan their activities for the coming year. The GCTF is a recognition of how much Taiwan has to offer the international community and an affirmation of US support for finding ways to assist Taiwan in preserving and expanding its international space.
Next year, the chairman further pointed out, Taiwan and the United States will celebrate a milestone in the bilateral relationship – the 40th anniversary of the TRA. In that anniversary year, he looks forward to further advances across the many dimensions of this partnership. The coming year will, he asserted, show to all why the United States considers Taiwan to be a vital and reliable partner in Asia and a force for good in the world.
Guests also included Jim Heller, Director of the US State Department's Office of Taiwan Coordination.