President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has promised the US that Taiwan will be a “shining beacon” of freedom and democracy and a source of peace and stability in Asia and the world.
In a recorded video message to an inaugural celebration held at Taiwan’s Twin Oaks Estate in Washington, Tsai said Taiwan had once again shown that freedom, democracy and the rule of law were not just Western values, but were universal.
In the message, played shortly before Tsai’s inauguration, she told more than 100 guests, including members of the US Congress, officials from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the US-Taiwan community, that the US was Taiwan’s “most treasured friend.”
Photo: Nadia Tsao, Taipei Times
Tsai said the US-Taiwan relationship had grown and evolved and that the US had helped provide Taiwan with the security and confidence to meet the challenges before it.
She said the administration of US President Barack Obama and the US Congress had reaffirmed Taiwan as a “vital partner” and that Taiwan’s relationship with the US would be of the highest priority in her administration.
Tsai said that many challenges needed to be handled in a responsible manner and that she hoped to work hand-in-hand with the US to face the challenges together.
She said Taiwan would contribute in every way possible to the stability and prosperity of the region and that she wanted to thank the US “from the bottom of my heart” for its friendship.
Representative to the US Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡) said that Taiwan would do everything possible to ensure the continuation of its excellent relationship with the US.
He said the current relationship was the best that it had ever been and that Taiwan had been repeatedly cited by Washington officials as a “key component” of the US’ rebalance to Asia.
Shen said that on Capitol Hill, the US Senate’s Taiwan caucus has 35 members and the US House of Representatives’ Taiwan caucus has 211 members.
He said that there are 325,000 US jobs stemming from US economic relations with Taiwan.
Shen said he would be remiss if he did not acknowledge the long-term contribution that the policies of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had made to the “remarkable improvement” in US-Taiwan relations.
He said he had no doubt that relations between Taiwan and the US would continue to grow under Tsai.
AIT Managing Director Joseph Donovan said that Taiwan’s democratic achievement provided a “great occasion for celebration.”
He said the US had a proud relationship with Taiwan and was proud of what it had accomplished with Ma and proud of what it believed it could accomplish in the years ahead.
“We congratulate President Tsai Ing-wen and look forward to working with her administration,” Donovan said.
US Representative Gerry Connolly said Taiwan was a remarkable model and that it provided hope for the people of Asia.
Director of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mission in Washington Michael Fonte said Tsai fully intended to keep the partnership with the US alive and growing.
He said he was convinced that with US support on the economic and security fronts Taiwan would continue to be a pure and deep democratic partner and would work toward building security in the region.
CLEAR BEFORE LEAVING: Two baby boys and a woman in her 30s tested negative before departing for Japan, but tests taken after their arrival came back postive Three Taiwanese tested positive for COVID-19 when they arrived in Japan earlier this month, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday as it reported a new imported case. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), head of the center, said that one of the three cases in Japan is a Taiwanese baby under the age of one, whose parents work in Japan. The infant came to Taiwan with his parents in January, and the parents paid for the family’s COVID-19 tests on Oct. 10 ahead of their planned return to Japan on Monday last week, he said. The boy and his
‘BACKED BY ENEMY’: CTi News is one of the few channels promoting unification, the New Party chairman said, while pro-Taiwan groups called it a propaganda outlet Pan-blue camp supporters yesterday lodged a protest at the National Communications Commission (NCC) against what they say is a possible move by the government to shut down CTi News, adding that politics should not interfere with freedom of the press. Protesters included representatives from the New Party, the Blue Sky Action Alliance, the 333 Political Party Alliance and other pan-blue groups. “We stand here today because CTi News is one of the few media outlets in Taiwan that is still willing to give groups supporting unification with China a voice. If the news channel is gone, there would only be
NEW YEAR’S EVE: Examples from South Korea and Japan show that 15 local COVID-19 infections could emerge in a short period if measures are not taken The Taipei City Government would cancel its New Year’s Eve Party and all large events if 15 or more confirmed cases of COVID-19 are reported in the city within a week, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday. Addressing the Taipei Cross Border E-Commerce Annual Convention, Ko said the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many uncertainties to society, and that e-commerce is on a path of no return and would continue to grow. Many countries have not effectively controlled their COVID-19 outbreaks, and although Taiwan implements strict border controls and there have been few inbound passengers, the pandemic is unlikely to end soon,
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday accused CTi News of trying to mislead the public by publishing a half-page advert claiming that the party interfered in the National Communications Commission’s (NCC) review of its application for a license renewal. CTi News is distorting the commission’s review process by painting it as a political conflict and turning it into a smear campaign against the DPP, party spokeswoman Yen Juo-fang (顏若芳) said. “The NCC is an independent body, which carries out reviews and makes decisions based on its members’ professional expertise, as well as regulations and legal requirements governing media operations,” Yen said. “We condemn
RSS