Taiwan is to strive to become a “force for good” in the international community and seek to make further contributions to democracy, peace and prosperity, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.
Lai made the remarks during a meeting with a visiting delegation from the Project 2049 Institute led by Randal Schriver at the Presidential Office in Taipei.
He welcomed the delegation, saying that they, similar to Taiwan, represented a stabilizing force in the world.
Photo: CNA
Lai commended the experts for expressing positive and meaningful opinions on maintaining the nation’s safety, the stability of cross-strait relations and peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
Lai said that the delegation’s visit, which took place shortly after US President Joe Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the US-Japan Summit on Wednesday, also held symbolic significance.
Among the range of issues Biden and Kishida agreed upon was the pledge to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and to stabilize peace within the Indo-Pacific region, Lai quoted a media report as saying.
The vice president said that he would develop Taiwan’s economy, look after Taiwan’s citizenry and devote efforts to augment Taiwan’s national defenses, maintain cross-strait equilibrium and uphold peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
Yesterday was the first time he and Lai met after Taiwan’s presidential elections in January and that congratulations were in order, Schriver said.
Schriver also said that Lai would soon head a prospering democratic country that respects human rights and religious freedom, and would undoubtedly face many more challenges when he takes over.
He looked forward to hearing what Lai had to say regarding the new administration, and what kind of support and assistance he required of the delegation, Schriver added.
Thanking Lai for mentioning the US-Japan summit, Schriver also commented on former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s proposal of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, adding that the US has done much work under that framework — of which Taiwan plays an important part — in hopes of realizing Abe’s vision.
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