Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭 美琴) yesterday expressed gratitude to the United States for its support of Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities and calls for cross-strait peace during a reception organized by the US de facto embassy in Taiwan to mark July 4 Independence Day.
In her address during the event organized by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) to celebrate the 248th anniversary of Independence Day, Hsiao sent congratulations to America for founding a nation built on principles of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
She said following decades of democratization, including the latest presidential and legislative elections this January, democracy and freedom have become “essential elements of Taiwanese identity and the cornerstone of Taiwan-U.S. relations.”
Photo: Ben Blanchard, Reuters
As Taiwan’s former top envoy to Washington from 2020 to 2023, Hsiao said she has had “a front-row seat in observing and working to deepen, broaden and strengthen the Taiwan-US partnership.”
Hsiao left the US post and returned to Taiwan last year to run for vice president along with presidential candidate William Lai (賴清德) in the Jan. 13 presidential election. The pair were successful.
In her speech, Hsiao also referenced a number of the achievements made by Taipei and Washington in recent years, including the signing of the first agreement under the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-Century Trade in June 2023.
The deal has brought Taiwanese and American businesses and people closer together, Hsiao said, adding Taiwan’s government hopes both sides can move forward and resolve issues such as double taxation.
On the international front, Taiwan is grateful to the US for enabling it to share its expertise and experiences in dealing with complex global challenges on the world stage, she said.
“This does demonstrate that a very robust Taiwan-US relationship is also good for the world. And we certainly intend to continue to be that force for good in the world as a solid partner of the United States,” she said.
Taipei also appreciates American support for Taiwan’s defense capacities in the face of the growing military threat from China, she said.
Given AIT Director Sandra Oudkirk’s three-year tenure is nearing its end, Hsiao thanked the envoy for her dedication to enhancing Taiwan-US relations.
Oudkirk said the AIT remains committed to working with Taiwan in advancing the shared vision of a free, open, resilient, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
“We thank Taiwan for serving as a partner to the United States and promoting democratic values around the world,” she said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday voiced dissatisfaction with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), whose latest meeting, concluded earlier the same day, appeared not to address the country’s application. In a statement, MOFA said the CPTPP commission had "once again failed to fairly process Taiwan’s application," attributing the inaction to the bloc’s "succumbing to political pressure," without elaborating. Taiwan submitted its CPTPP application under the name "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" on Sept. 22, 2021 -- less than a week after China
THE GOOD WORD: More than 100 colleges on both sides of the Pacific will work together to bring students to Taiwan so they can learn Mandarin where it is spoken A total of 102 universities from Taiwan and the US are collaborating in a push to promote Taiwan as the first-choice place to learn Mandarin, with seven Mandarin learning centers stood up in the US to train and support teachers, the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) said. At the annual convention of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages held over the weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana, a Taiwan Pavilion was jointly run by 17 representative teams from the FICHET, the Overseas Community Affairs Council, the Steering Committee for the Test of Proficiency-Huayu, the
A home-style restaurant opened by a Taiwanese woman in Quezon City in Metro Manila has been featured in the first-ever Michelin Guide honoring exceptional restaurants in the Philippines. The restaurant, Fong Wei Wu (豐味屋), was one of 74 eateries to receive a “Michelin Selected” honor in the guide, while one restaurant received two Michelin stars, eight received one star and 25 were awarded a “Bib Gourmand.” The guide, which was limited to restaurants in Metro Manila and Cebu, was published on Oct. 30. In an interview, Feng Wei Wu’s owner and chef, Linda, said that as a restaurateur in her 60s, receiving an
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) on Monday announced light shows and themed traffic lights to welcome fans of South Korean pop group Twice to the port city. The group is to play Kaohsiung on Saturday as part of its “This Is For” world tour. It would be the group’s first performance in Taiwan since its debut 10 years ago. The all-female group consists of five South Koreans, three Japanese and Tainan’s Chou Tzu-yu (周子瑜), the first Taiwan-born and raised member of a South Korean girl group. To promote the group’s arrival, the city has been holding a series of events, including a pop-up
RSS