Ten members of the US Congress pledged support and assistance for Taiwan’s participation in regional economic integration and for stronger US-Taiwan economic relations during telephone conversations with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), officials said yesterday.
During a 24-hour layover in Los Angeles on his way home from Honduras, Ma spoke with 20 US politicians by phone, including former US president Bill Clinton, former secretaries of state Hillary Rodham Clinton and Condoleezza Rice and former secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld, members of his delegation said.
In his conversations with the 10 lawmakers, Ma expressed Taiwan’s determination and willingness to participate in the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the officials said, adding that many of the lawmakers showed support and promised to fully assist Taiwan’s bid to join the TPP.
Among the lawmakers Ma called were senators Dianne Feinstein and James Inhofe and representatives Devin Nunes, Brad Sherman and Charles Rangel, they said.
Ma returned to Taipei early yesterday after an eight-day trip that took him to Sao Tome and Principe, Burkina Faso and Honduras.
The trip solidified Taiwan’s ties and cooperation with those allies and also his policy of pursing “viable diplomacy,” Ma said after arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
The heads of state he met pledged continued support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and their activities, he added.
Ma had a busy Lunar New Year’s Eve scheduled, including visits with the military and the police, dinner with his mother and an annual pilgrimage to a temple in New Taipei City (新北市).
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