New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, who is on an eight-day trip in the US, on Friday said that he would not take Washington’s support of Taiwan for granted.
Speaking to reporters in New York while visiting two US think tanks — the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) — Hou said he would not take US support of Taiwan for granted and that Taipei would continue to boost its national defense capabilities to deter Beijing’s aggression.
Hou, who arrived in New York on Thursday, said that Taiwan needed to increase its military strength not only to ensure cross-strait stability and Taiwan’s security, but also to mitigate concerns held by the rest of the world regarding the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
Photo: CNA
Hou said that Taiwan should maintain a dialogue with China to lower the risk of conflict and increase mutual understanding, but added that Taipei did not hold unrealistic expectations of Beijing.
In a statement released by Hou’s campaign office after he attended a forum held by the NCAFP, he said Taiwan was one of the most important Indo-Pacific countries and that it would do its bit to maintain peace in the region.
“Taiwan will not be a trouble-maker, but instead will play a role in facilitating peace and reducing risks in the region,” Hou said, adding that his goal was to “maintain cross-strait stability, ensure Taiwan’s security and allow the world to rest assured.”
Photo courtesy of Hou You-yi’s office
The NCAFP forum was also attended by former US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs Daniel Russel, former US acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs Susan Thornton, who is the project director of the Forum on Asia-Pacific Security at the NCAFP, and former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) chairman Raymond Burghardt, as well as other Asia-Pacific affairs specialists.
Hou’s office said that when the KMT presidential nominee visited the CFR, he also emphasized both sides of the Taiwan Strait should maintain dialogue and increase their interactions to lower the risk of military conflict, and pave the way toward prosperity and stability in the region and the world.
During his stay in New York, Hou also met with a group of overseas Taiwanese and told them he was determined to protect the Republic of China (ROC) and pass on Chinese culture to future generations.
Hou said next year’s presidential election would decide whether Taiwan will go to war or enjoy peace, adding that “as long as we keep the ROC, we will be able to keep the peace, and our future generations will be able to stand firm,” implying that the stance of the Democratic Progressive Party is provocative.
After his trip to New York, Hou is to visit Washington from tomorrow to Tuesday to meet with AIT Chair Laura Rosenberger as well as academics from the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation, and US lawmakers.
The trip to the US has been described by Hou’s office as a “journey of dialogue and deepening friendship.”
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