President Tsai meets NCAFP delegation
On the morning of October 23, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation from the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP). In remarks, President Tsai emphasized that Taiwan is ready and willing to work with partners worldwide to address emerging issues and challenges. The president said that as a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue working to maintain peace and stability in the region and acting as a force for good in the world. She also expressed hope for closer cooperation and communication within the region so that we can jointly uphold security and sustainable development in democracies worldwide.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
I extend a warm welcome to Ambassador Susan Elliott, president and CEO of the NCAFP, who is again leading a delegation to Taiwan. Our guests are all long-time friends of Taiwan. When I transited through the United States this March, Ambassador Elliott, Ambassador Raymond Burghardt, president of the Pacific Century Institute, and Juliet Lee, deputy project director of the NCAFP Forum on Asia-Pacific Security, attended our banquet for our overseas community. I also met not too long ago with Ryan Hass, director of the John L. Thornton China Center and the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies at the Brookings Institution.
With the recent global turmoil that we have witnessed, I believe this trip will give you a more complete picture of the challenges that Taiwan and the region face. The NCAFP publishes regular reports on Taiwan-US relations and the cross-strait situation. I would like to thank you for facilitating multilateral dialogues, deepening Taiwan-US relations, and promoting positive developments in regional security.
As I am sure you have noticed, Taiwan and the United States have not only continued to deepen cooperation, but are also engaging more closely with other democratic partners. Last week, the Global Cooperation and Training Framework – a partnership platform that includes Taiwan, the United States, Japan, and Australia – held an international workshop on maritime disaster management. Saint Lucia cohosted the event, which was attended by a total of 13 countries from the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean regions.
I want to reiterate that Taiwan is ready and willing to work with partners worldwide to address emerging issues and challenges. As a responsible member of the international community, we will continue working to maintain peace and stability in the region and acting as a force for good in the world.
I know that you will be visiting other countries in Asia. After your trip, I look forward to hearing your observations and conclusions. We hope to see closer cooperation and communication within the region so that we can jointly uphold security and sustainable development in democracies worldwide.
President and CEO of the NCAFP Ambassador Elliott then delivered remarks, saying that she and the members of her delegation were honored to meet with President Tsai. Having last been in Taipei this past December, Ambassador Elliot said that during that trip they also had the privilege of meeting with President Tsai.
For many years, Ambassador Elliot stated, the NCAFP has been hosting informal trilateral discussions among experts, scholars, and colleagues from Taipei, Beijing, and the United States. She said that the NCAFP believes that dialogue is the best way to maintain peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, adding that they are fortunate to have expert colleagues in Taipei who are willing to have discussions with them.
On this, her fourth visit to Taipei since becoming the president of the NCAFP, Ambassador Elliot said that she looks forward to the discussions her delegation will have over the next week. She also thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) for the great support they have given to her delegation in hosting their visit and helping to arrange their schedule.
Ambassador Elliot congratulated President Tsai on a productive and successful nearly eight years in office, thanked her for taking the time to meet with the delegation, and said that they look forward to the forthcoming discussion.
Also present at the meeting were Project Director of the NCAFP Forum on Asia-Pacific Security Susan Thornton and Senior Vice President of American Global Strategies Allison Hooker.