The government congratulated US President Donald Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence following their inauguration on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, adding that it looks forward to working with the new administration to advance bilateral ties.
Taiwan and the US share common values, such as respect for freedom, democracy and human rights, and have maintained cooperation based on the principles of mutual trust and reciprocity, the ministry said.
The two nations have established a close relationship in the areas of politics, security, economy and culture, the ministry said, adding that Taiwan looks forward to working with the new US administration to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
Photo: AP
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) also congratulated Trump and Pence on their inauguration.
In a tweet on her recently reactivated Twitter account, she said she hoped for stronger ties between Taiwan and the US during Trump’s tenure and that she looks forward to advancing the two nations’ friendship.
Taiwan’s delegation to the inauguration ceremony was led by former premier Yu Shyi-kun and comprised of lawmakers and politicians representing the major political parties.
After attending the ceremony, Yu said it was impressive that former US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton — the Democratic candidate in the US presidential election in November last year — received a warm welcome from Trump’s supporters when she arrived at his inauguration.
The US is a mature democracy and can always implement a peaceful transition of power, despite fierce competition during electoral campaigns, Yu said, citing it as a good example for Taiwan.
China should learn from the US’ experience and see the value of democracy, he said.
Taipei and Washington should focus on innovative industries when it comes to trade, Yu said.
Taiwan should boost efforts to negotiate a free-trade agreement with the US if Trump withdraws from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), he said.
The Trump administration’s “America first” foreign policy includes withdrawal from the TPP, according to information on a revamped White House Web site.
Among other “pointed questions,” Yu said he asked former Heritage Foundation president Edwin Feulner about the possibility of Trump “selling out” Taiwan.
According to Yu, Feulner asked how any US president could betray Taiwan when the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) exists.
The TRA outlines US commitments to Taiwan.
Feulner, an adviser to Trump’s transition team, said that Taiwan should not worry so much, according to Yu.
Yu said Feulner’s response meant that the US president could not sell out Taiwan even if he wanted to.
The TRA was enacted in 1979 to maintain commercial, cultural and other unofficial relations between Taiwan and the US after Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
The TRA requires the US “to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character.”
RECOGNITION: Former Fijian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry said that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy serves as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific region Taiwan can lead the unification of the Chinese people, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Polish president Lech Walesa said in Taipei yesterday, adding that as the world order is changing, peaceful discussion would find good solutions, and that the use of force and coercion would always fail. Walesa made the remarks during his keynote address at a luncheon of the Yushan Forum in Taipei, titled “Indo-Pacific Partnership Prospects: Taiwan’s Values, Technology and Resilience,” organized by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Walesa said that he had been at the forefront of a big peaceful revolution and “if
North Korea tested nuclear-capable rocket launchers, state media reported yesterday, a day after Seoul detected the launch of about 10 ballistic missiles. The test comes after South Korean and US forces launched their springtime military drills, due to run until Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday oversaw the testing of the multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The test involved 12 600mm-caliber ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers and two artillery companies, it said. Kim said the drill gave Pyongyang’s enemies, within the 420km striking range, a sense of “uneasiness” and “a deep understanding
North Korea yesterday fired about 10 ballistic missiles to the sea toward Japan, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, days after Pyongyang warned of “terrible consequences” over ongoing South Korea-US military drills. Pyongyang recently dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, Washington’s security ally, describing its latest peace efforts as a “clumsy, deceptive farce.” Seoul’s military detected “around 10 ballistic missiles launched from the Sunan area in North Korea toward the East Sea [Sea of Japan] at around 1:20pm,” JCS said in a statement, referring to South Korea’s name for the body of water. The missiles
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
RSS