President Tsai meets delegation from Heritage Foundation
On the morning of February 26, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation from the Heritage Foundation. In remarks, President Tsai thanked the foundation for its support of Taiwan-US relations and for facilitating even closer cooperation between Taiwan and the United States in areas including trade, economics, and security. The president also pointed out that in last year's Index of Economic Freedom, published by the Heritage Foundation, Taiwan was ranked fourth in the world, which is our best performance yet. The president expressed her hope that the Heritage Foundation will continue to assist Taiwan and the US in deepening our partnership across many areas and that together we can make more contributions to regional prosperity and development.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
I extend a warm welcome to President of the Heritage Foundation Kevin Roberts. This is your first visit to Taiwan since becoming president of the Heritage Foundation in 2021. And I am always delighted to see Dr. Edwin J. Feulner, Jr., founder of the Heritage Foundation and one of Taiwan's longstanding friends.
I would like to thank the Heritage Foundation for long supporting Taiwan-US relations through op-eds, symposiums, and other channels. As a prominent think tank, the foundation continues to exert great influence, facilitating even closer cooperation between Taiwan and the US in areas including trade, economics, and security. The Index of Economic Freedom, an annual report published by the Heritage Foundation, serves as an important reference for Taiwan in refining our economic policies.
Taiwan's ranking in the index for last year is fourth in the world, which is our best performance yet. This demonstrates that our efforts over the past several years to promote industrial innovation and upgrading and achieve environmental sustainability were indeed the right way to proceed. We have not only created a healthy investment environment for businesses, we have also received international trust and praise.
The US is an important partner for Taiwan in matters of security, economics, and trade. Expanding the scope of bilateral cooperation aligns with the interests of both Taiwan and the US and ensures the security and stability of global supply chains. It also helps the global democratic community jointly safeguard the universal values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. I would like to take this opportunity to ask our guests from the Heritage Foundation to continue to assist Taiwan and the US in deepening our partnership across many areas. Together, we can contribute even more to regional prosperity and development.
To conclude, I once again thank President Roberts and his delegation for demonstrating their support for Taiwan through this visit. I look forward to exchanging ideas with you on various issues of concern to Taiwan and the US.
President Roberts then delivered remarks, first thanking President Tsai on behalf of the Heritage Foundation for hosting them. President Roberts, a Texan, mentioned that as a first-time visitor to Taiwan, it reminded him of Texas, because of its wonderful leaders, cheerful people, economic freedom, and human flourishing.
President Roberts congratulated President Tsai on Taiwan being ranked number four once again in the entire world in the foundation's 2024 Index of Economic Freedom, adding that President Tsai deserves tremendous credit for this herself. He also presented President Tsai with a copy of the index.
President Roberts pointed out that one additional point to economic policy is national security. He thanked President Tsai on behalf of the Heritage Foundation and also on behalf of America for her courage in maintaining the status quo of peace in the Taiwan Strait. He said that they will honor President Tsai's service to the people of Taiwan, to freedom and free people across the world by maintaining that even after she leaves office.
In closing, President Roberts said that President Tsai is beloved by her people and by them at the Heritage Foundation, and that she will, even after leaving office, remain beloved by free people across the world. He then thanked the president and congratulated her for so many years of great service.
Also in attendance at the meeting were Vice President of the Heritage Foundation's Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy Victoria Coates and Senior Policy Advisor for China and the Indo-Pacific Bryan Burack.