President Tsai meets US Senators Chris Coons and Maggie Hassan
President Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation led by US Senators Chris Coons and Maggie Hassan on the morning of April 28. The president stated that the solid security partnership between Taiwan and the United States is not only crucial to regional peace and stability, but also in the shared interests of all members of the Indo-Pacific community. Taiwan is ready, willing, and able to contribute more to the international community, she said.
In remarks, President Tsai welcomed Senators Coons and Hassan on their first visit to Taiwan. The president stated that she knew their schedule is quite full, so she thanked them for taking the time to visit Taiwan.
This year, the president pointed out, marks the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), and she was happy to have the chance to meet with many friends from the United States recently. She referenced US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said that the TRA has bolstered our unshakeable relationship for 40 years, based on our shared values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.
The president said that we are grateful for the US Congress' bipartisan support for Taiwan-US relations. She also specially thanked Senator Coons for jointly introducing the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019 alongside Senators from both parties. In that Act, they supported Taiwan's participation in international organizations, and the signing of a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with us. They also emphasized Taiwan's integral role in a free and open Indo-Pacific, and invited Taiwan to participate in bilateral and multilateral military exercises.
President Tsai emphasized that the solid security partnership between Taiwan and the United States is not only crucial to regional peace and stability, but also in the shared interests of all members of the Indo-Pacific community. She said that we are grateful to the United States for helping to enhance our self-defense capacities through regular arms sales and military cooperation. We look forward to even closer cooperation on security issues in the future, she said, so that we can make our region safer together.
The president pointed out that Taiwan is ready, willing, and able to contribute more to the international community. She believes that we can continue to strengthen our partnership with the United States based on our solid cooperative foundation. Together, she stated, we can be a force for good in the region, and around the world. In closing, she once again welcomed Senators Coons and Hassan to Taiwan, and wished them a smooth and successful trip.
In his remarks that followed, Senator Coons thanked President Tsai for taking the time to meet with them. He stated that his delegation was completing a very busy round of international visits. They had visited Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing, and Taipei was their final stop.
Senator Coons pointed out that the purpose of their visit to Taiwan was to continue to reinforce the strong US-Taiwan relations consistent with the TRA, which had just reached its 40th anniversary. He stated that their visit was not meant to make diplomatic news or change the cross-strait status quo, but rather to continue to encourage constructive cross-strait dialogue, and that he did not wish to encourage any actions that would change the cross-strait status quo.
Later, Senator Coons stated, the delegation would discuss a wide range of issues with President Tsai, including intellectual property rights, the Taiwan-US economic partnership, and regional security, in the context of the previous stops on their trip. He then thanked President Tsai once again for receiving them
In her remarks, Senator Hassan stated that this is her first trip to East Asia, and she expressed her delight at having the opportunity to conclude their trip in Taipei. Taipei is an incredibly vibrant city, she said, and they had seen the strength of Taiwan's economy and the people's entrepreneurial spirit. The purpose of their visit was to facilitate person-to-person understanding, which helps us build better relationships, and to reiterate the importance of the TRA on its 40th anniversary. She expressed hope that they would see and learn a great deal on their trip.