Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics.
Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said.
The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait.
Photo: CNA
The international community closely observed the Jan. 13 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan, waiting to see how Taiwanese would cast their ballots when faced with China’s military threats and propaganda, he added.
Taiwanese voted for the country to work more closely with other democratic countries, he said.
Situated in the first island chain, Taiwan is directly threatened by China, “but we know our responsibility, and we will do our best to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
Taiwan hopes the international community would continue to show concern over the situation in the Strait, as maintaining regional peace and stability can only be achieved by working together with the global community, he added.
While continuing to be a crucial part of the international supply chain, Taiwan hopes to obtain more significant support from the US government and the international community for the nation’s inclusion in regional economic organizations, Lai said.
Instability in China’s economy and government, as well as a more hostile environment across the Strait, have led to many Taiwanese businesses pulling out of China and investing in the US, Japan, the EU and other parts of the Indo-Pacific region, he said.
If Taiwan can work with other countries in a regional framework, it would bolster the nation’s industrial development, he added.
Members of the delegation included German Marshall Fund Indo-Pacific Program managing director Bonnie Glaser, Eurasia Group China practice managing director Rick Waters, American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Zack Cooper and Freeman chair in China Studies at the US Center for Strategic and International Studies Jude Blanchette.
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