President William Lai (賴清德) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday mourned the passing of former US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage.
Armitage, who served under then-US secretary of state Colin Powell from 2001 to 2004 and was known for being friendly toward Taiwan, died on Sunday at age 79 of a pulmonary embolism.
His death was announced by his consulting firm Armitage International in a statement issued on Monday.
Photo: Screen grab from the Presidential Office’s Flickr page
Armitage had long-held ties to Taiwan, visiting the country many times, most recently for the inauguration of Lai in May last year.
In a social media post, Lai wrote that he was “deeply saddened by the passing of Ambassador Richard Armitage, a true friend to Taiwan.”
“We will fondly remember his contributions to Taiwan-US relations and support for our democracy, just as we will miss his genuine kindness and sincerity,” Lai added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also mourned Armitage’s death, describing him as a “steadfast friend of Taiwan,” in a social media post.
“His lifelong commitment to democracy and regional stability strengthened our ties. His legacy will endure and inspire future generations,” it wrote.
In 2019 and 2021, Armitage met with then-president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office 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.
Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) on Threads expressed her condolences to the “good friend of Taiwan” who she met during the administration of former US president George W. Bush.
Armitage was not only a respected figure in the industry, but a kindhearted man who adopted children from Vietnam and showed genuine care to his colleagues and friends, she added.
He also worked as a senior US Department of Defense official during the administration of former US president Ronald Reagan and as a special envoy under Reagan’s successor, George H.W. Bush.
After leaving government service, Armitage worked as a private consultant for defense contractors involved in the sale of weapons to Taiwan, a 2008 Salon report said.
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
NEW WORLD: Taiwan is pursuing innovative approaches to international relations through economics, trade and values-based diplomacy, the foreign minister said Taiwan would implement a “three-chain strategy” that promotes democratic values in response to US tariffs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said. Taiwan would aim to create a “global democratic value chain,” seek to capitalize on its position within the first island chain and promote a “non-red supply chain,” Lin was quoted as saying in the ministry’s written report to the Legislative Yuan submitted ahead of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting slated for today. The Ministry would also uphold a spirit of mutual beneficial collaboration, maintaining close communication and consultations with Washington to show that Taiwan-US cooperation
Taiwan and the US have begun trade negotiations over tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump earlier this month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said in an interview this morning before reporting to the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the US, has already established communication channels with the US Department of State and the US Trade Representative (USTR), and is engaging in intensive consultations, he said. Points of negotiation include tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and issues related to investment, procurement and export controls, he