President William Lai (賴清德) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today released statements to mourn the passing of former US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage.
Armitage passed away on Sunday at the age of 79 after suffering a pulmonary embolism.
He was a "steadfast friend of Taiwan," whose "lifelong commitment to democracy [and] regional stability strengthened our ties,” the ministry said on X.
Photo: Taipei Times
“His legacy will endure [and] inspire future generations," it added.
Lai said he was "deeply saddened" by the news in a post on X, adding that "we will miss his genuine kindness and sincerity. He will always remain in our hearts."
Armitage served as deputy US secretary of state from 2001 to 2005, during the administration of former US president George W Bush.
He also served as chairman of the Project 2049 Institute, a non-profit research organization that promotes US values and security interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
Armitage personally attended Lai's inauguration last year, and met with former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office in 2019 and 2021 as part of unofficial US delegations.
During the 2021 meeting, he described Taiwan as a "great democracy," as he reiterated to Tsai then-US president Joe Biden's commitment to continue supporting Taiwan.
Armitage remained concerned about China's military threats and coercive actions toward Taiwan right up until the end of his life, the ministry said in a news release.
“The more China bullies Taiwan, the more international support comes to Taiwan,” Armitage said in an interview with Voice of America last year.
Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) on Threads expressed her condolences to the "good friend of Taiwan" who she met during the Bush administration.
Whether in his military career or diplomacy work, he demonstrated courage and wisdom, making significant contributions to the steady development of US-Taiwan relations, she said.
He is survived by his wife Laura and eight children, the consulting firm Armitage International — of which Armitage was president and founding partner — said in a statement yesterday.
Armitage was not only a respected figure in the industry, but a kind-hearted man who adopted children from Vietnam and showed genuine care to his colleagues and friends, Hsiao added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS