President Lai meets Brookings Institution delegation
On the morning of December 19, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the Brookings Institution. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan is situated at a crucial point in the first island chain, standing on the frontline of a network of island democracies, and will continue to implement the Four Pillars of Peace action plan to ensure Taiwan’s security and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The president said that moving ahead through a complex global landscape, Taiwan looks forward to cooperating with the United States and other democracies, serving as a force for good, and promoting global democracy and prosperity.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
I would first like to wish Brookings Institution President Cecilia Rouse, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time, a very happy birthday. Thank you for leading a delegation to Taiwan, especially on such a special day, and I hope this visit is a great success. I would also like to welcome back Vice President Suzanne Maloney, who visited Taiwan in August, and thank John L. Thornton China Center Director Ryan Hass for his longstanding support for Taiwan.
The Brookings Institution is a prominent think tank, and the research it contributes is not only greatly utilized in the US government, but also deeply impacts the international political and economic landscape. We hope that President Rouse’s visit will help Taiwan continue to enjoy support from your institution.
Global strategy has become increasingly complex in recent years. Authoritarian regimes such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran continue to converge. And their coordinated actions in various regions have grown more aggressive, showing that expanding authoritarianism poses challenges shared by the entire world. Therefore, we must stand together.
China continues to increase its pressure on Taiwan through military activities in an attempt to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. We wholeheartedly thank the US and other democracies for showing support for democratic Taiwan and for publicly expressing concern over China’s actions, which disrupt peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan is situated at a crucial point in the first island chain, standing on the frontline of a network of island democracies. We will continue to implement the Four Pillars of Peace action plan to ensure Taiwan’s security and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
We will continue to strengthen our national defense, whether it is through boosting our self-sufficiency in national defense or through external military procurement. We will also continue to strengthen our economic resilience and stand together with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence, prevent war, and achieve peace through strength. On the condition of parity and dignity, Taiwan is also willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China to promote peaceful development.
Last week, the first agreement under the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-Century Trade officially came into effect, marking a significant milestone in bilateral trade and economic relations. And the fruitful outcomes that Taiwan and the US are creating are not only limited to this domain, but also extend to such areas as security, education, and culture. Moving ahead through a complex global landscape, we look forward to cooperating with the US and other democracies, serving as a force for good, and promoting global democracy and prosperity.
President Rouse then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for sharing his insights with the delegation, and for the birthday wishes. She indicated that she is visiting Taiwan and Japan as part of her first major overseas trip as president of the Brookings Institution, and that this decision reflects Taiwan’s important role as a central actor in the global economy, a close partner of the US, and a key factor in the preservation of peace and stability in Asia.
President Rouse said that this visit comes at a time of transition in the US, as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to office on January 20. While America’s political leadership changes every four years, she said, the shared interests and values that bind our two peoples together endure.
The president said that through their meeting with President Lai and other leaders in Taiwan, the delegation looks forward to better understanding perspectives from Taiwan on strengthening US-Taiwan relations and supporting Taiwan’s peace and prosperity. These insights, she said, will strengthen their research in keeping with the Brookings Institution’s longstanding tradition of nonpartisanship and independence. To close, President Rouse thanked President Lai once again for welcoming the delegation.