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President Tsai Ing-wen met with American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman James Moriarty on the afternoon of April 16. She stated that Taiwan-US relations are already close and growing even warmer, and that Taiwan will continue to cooperate closely with the United States and other like-minded nations in the region, as we jointly contribute to prosperity and development in the Indo-Pacific.
In remarks, President Tsai stated that it was a pleasure to see Chairman Moriarty again after their meeting just last month in Honolulu. Yesterday, she met with former US House Speaker Paul Ryan and Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology, and that she had also met with Chairman Moriarty when they both visited the new AIT compound to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
That morning, the president mentioned, she attended the opening ceremony of the Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue, and the Women's Economic Empowerment Summit, organized under the Taiwan-US Global Cooperation and Training Framework. Those events highlight the many regional dialogues and cooperation between Taiwan and the United States that are already underway, and that all in the region acknowledge the importance of these dialogues. They also show how close bilateral relations currently are, and how much warmer they are becoming. She thanked her visitors for their efforts and contributions to advancing the Taiwan-US partnership.
President Tsai specially thanked the Trump administration for announcing two arms sales packages to Taiwan in accordance with the TRA, and for normalizing procedures for such sales. This will help us improve our self-defense capabilities and strengthen peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, she said. It also highlights the United States' determination to support its allies and partners throughout the Indo-Pacific.
The president further stated that economic and trade interactions between Taiwan and the United States are also in excellent shape. The five US tech giants—nicknamed the FAAMG—have all invested in Taiwan. She stated that she visited Facebook's Taipei office just a few days ago, where she witnessed young people's creativity and passion, and the confidence that foreign companies have in investing in Taiwan.
Last week, President Tsai recalled, when she met with David Meale, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Trade Policy and Negotiations, she mentioned that as Taiwan-US economic and trade interactions continue to grow closer, we strongly hope to sign a bilateral trade agreement with the United States at the earliest possible juncture. This would strengthen our economic and trade interactions going forward.
In closing, the president noted that at a congressional hearing last month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated US support for and resolve toward Taiwan. As a key partner in the Indo-Pacific, she said, Taiwan will continue to cooperate closely with the United States and other like-minded nations in the region, as we jointly contribute to prosperity and development in the Indo-Pacific.
In his remarks that followed, Chairman Moriarty began by expressing his appreciation for the warm welcome that Taiwan has given the 40th anniversary of the TRA. For him, he said, the celebrations in Washington, D.C., New York, and Taiwan only underscore the importance of the TRA and the relationship between the United States and Taiwan.
Chairman Moriarty noted that the two keynote addresses at the Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue that morning also underscored the depth of and the commitment to the relationship on both sides. He stated that these are challenging times in many ways, but when good friends work together, we can overcome challenges. The United States looks forward to continuing to work closely with Taiwan, he said, and to fully implementing its commitments under the TRA, and he looked forward to working with President Tsai as a part of that effort.
Guests also included Jim Heller, Director of the US State Department's Office of Taiwan Coordination.
