President Tsai meets Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman of US House Committee on Science, Space and Technology
President Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation led by Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology on the morning of April 15. The president spoke about the common values and goals that Taiwan and the United States share, and that the two countries can contribute more to prosperity and development in the region.
President Tsai started her remarks by welcoming Chairwoman Johnson and House Representative Hank Johnson, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, to Taiwan again. The president said that she was quite impressed by Chairwoman Johnson when they met at the Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue last year. President Tsai also welcomed Representatives Don Bacon and Salud Carbajal to Taiwan for the first time.
The president pointed out that Representative Eddie Johnson is Chairwoman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Recently, the collaboration between Taiwan and the United States on the FORMOSAT-7 satellite has made headlines in Taiwan. The president attended its transportation ceremony at the National Space Organization on April 14, and FORMOSAT-7 will depart for America on April 15 to prepare for launch, an inspiring event in science and technology for the Taiwanese people.
President Tsai further explained that the launch of FORMOSAT-7 is a major milestone in both Taiwan-US technological collaboration and the development of Taiwan's space technology. Over the past 40 years, we have continued to set new milestones and make new developments in our cooperation, thanks to the foundation laid out by the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
This afternoon, the president mentioned, she will be attending an event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of both the TRA and the establishment of the American Institute in Taiwan. She stated that there they would look back on our history of cooperation, and look towards future development.
Last week, President Tsai stated, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the TRA, the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs passed the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019, and a House Resolution reaffirming the US commitment to Taiwan and to the implementation of the TRA. These two pieces of legislation show the United States' steadfast support for Taiwan's international participation, US arms sales to Taiwan, and deepening Taiwan-US economic relations. She looked forward to even stronger relations with everyone's hard work and support.
President Tsai also thanked her visitors for their staunch support for Taiwan-friendly legislation and resolutions in the US Congress, which help to strengthen Taiwan-US relations. The four House Representatives present also signed a joint letter to the World Health Organization Director General last year, in which they supported Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly and spoke up for Taiwan. She sincerely thanked them for their support on behalf of the people of Taiwan.
The president also pointed out that Taiwan and the United States share common values and goals, and that we are more than happy to continue to share our democratic experiences with the United States and strengthen our partnership. Together, she said, we can be a force for good and contribute more to prosperity and development in the region. She stated that she also looked forward to the delegation members' continued support for Taiwan, so that we can see more outstanding results in all areas of cooperation.
Finally, President Tsai welcomed the delegation once again to Taiwan, and said that she will see them all tomorrow at the Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue and the Women's Economic Empowerment Summit. Our relations grow closer every time we come together, she said, and she expressed hope for more chances to meet and discuss in the future, to work together for stronger Taiwan-US relations.