President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday welcomed a delegation of US lawmakers and said he hoped that Taiwan-US military cooperation can expand to include joint research and development.
Speaking at the Presidential Office, Lai thanked US Representative Ami Bera, cochair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, for leading the all-Democratic delegation.
Lai said that Bera last visited in January last year, shortly after Taiwan’s presidential election, to demonstrate “support for Taiwan’s democracy.”
Photo: CNA
“This time, as head of the delegation of new members of the House armed services committee and the foreign affairs committee, he [Bera] is continuing to foster US Congressional support for Taiwan,” the president said.
He thanked the delegates for their initiatives in support of Taiwan, bolstering bilateral relations and continuing to focus on stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The government is prioritizing a special budget to increase defense spending to 3 percent of GDP this year, Lai said, reaffirming his administration’s efforts to bolster Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities and maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
He also emphasized the importance of enhancing economic ties with the US, and expressed hope that the US-Taiwan expedited double-tax relief act would be passed and signed into law later this year.
The bill, which was passed by the US House of Representatives on Jan. 15, is now under consideration in the US Senate.
Taiwan has said it would eliminate tax barriers, resolve double taxation issues, and encourage greater economic and investment activity between the two sides.
During the meeting, Bera recalled his previous his trip and said he believed they were the first congressional delegation to visit then-president-elect Lai following his election victory.
It is crucial for democracies to work together to maintain peace in Asia, he said.
“When we look at conflict in Europe, conflict in the Middle East, it is important for democracies to hold the peace in Asia. That’s why it was important for us to bring a delegation of members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee,” Bera said.
In addition to Bera, the delegation includes US representatives Gabe Amo, Wesley Bell, Julie Johnson, Sarah McBride and Johnny Olszewski — all of whom are visiting Taiwan for the first time.
Discussions during the visit, which runs through tomorow, would cover Taiwan-US relations, regional security, economic cooperation and supply chain resilience, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
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