President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday vowed to continue working with the US to contribute to peace and prosperity in the region amid the growing threat posed by China.
“China’s bullying will not alter Taiwan’s resolve to reach out to the world,” Tsai said when meeting members of the Washington-based Brookings Institution, including former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) chairman Richard Bush, who is now a senior fellow with the think tank, at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.
“As you have all noticed, changes are taking place in the Asia-Pacific region, such as in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea and on the Korean Peninsula,” Tsai said.
Photo: CNA
It is regrettable that China is also stepping up its pressure on Taiwan, as seen by its unilateral launch of the northbound M503 flight route, sending fighter jets and military vessels to circle Taiwan, forcing foreign enterprises to designate Taiwan as a province of China on their Web sites and preventing Taiwan from participating at world bodies, she said.
“These attempts to unilaterally change the cross-strait ‘status quo’ undermine peace and stability in the region, which is not conducive to cross-strait ties nor welcomed by the international community,” Tsai added.
“However, China’s bullying of Taiwan will not stop this country from reaching out to the world and we will continue to cooperate with the US and other like-minded countries to contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in the region,” she said.
Tsai thanked the US for its support of Taiwan over the past two years.
Washington’s decision to approve sales of defensive weapons to Taiwan, commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act, approval of licenses to allow US contractors to take part in the nation’s submarine development program and its backing for Taiwan to participate in international organizations are all tangible acts of support, she said.
The June 12 dedication of the AIT’s new compound in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖) also marked a milestone in US-Taiwan relations and served as a sign that the two countries would move toward shared goals, Tsai said.
In related news, Raymond Greene, a career diplomat, on Thursday assumed the position of AIT deputy director, the AIT said in a statement.
He has served as US consul general in Chengdu, China, and in Okinawa, Japan, and can speak Mandarin and Japanese.
He has also served as director for Japan and East Asian Economic Affairs on the US National Security Council and director of the Office of Economic Policy in the US Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
This is Greene’s second stint at the AIT, having previously held the post of deputy chief of Taipei’s political section.
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