President Tsai stops over in Los Angeles en route to Taiwan

2016/07/04

President Tsai Ing-wen stopped over July 1 in the U.S. city of Los Angeles en route to Taiwan after wrapping up a nine-day official visit to Republic of China (Taiwan) diplomatic allies Panama and Paraguay.

Tsai, abroad for the first time since taking office in May, was warmly welcomed upon touching down by Raymond Burghardt, director of Washington- headquartered American Institute in Taiwan.

Later in the evening, the president took part in a banquet hosted by Taiwan expatriates and attended by dignitaries and officials such as U.S. Reps. Xavier Becerra, Judy Chu, Ed Royce, Ted Leiu, Scott Peters, Brad Sherman and Norma Torres.

During the event, Tsai thanked the U.S. government for making possible her stopovers in Miami and Los Angeles. “Taiwan-U.S. relations continue developing and maturing, and are the most significant friendship for Taiwan in the 21st century,” she said.

The president also expressed her gratitude to the U.S. Congress for reaffirming two months earlier the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances as the cornerstone of Taiwan-U.S. relations, adding that she hopes the two sides will continue deepening ties on the back of similar legislative initiatives.

Concerning her Latin America visit, Tsai said she was warmly received and the trip helped strengthen bilateral relations. On the first leg, where Tsai attended the June 26 opening of the expanded Panama Canal at the invitation of President Juan Carlos Varela, she held bilateral talks with the heads of state and representatives of seven ROC diplomatic allies and exchanged views with more than 20 members of the U.S. Congress and politicians in person and on the telephone.

The president also reiterated the principles of her down-to-earth diplomacy approach. “This sincere, experience-based approach enables us to work with our good friends in learning, sharing and achieving common goals,” she said.

Tsai took the opportunity while in Los Angeles to call U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and former U.S. President Bill Clinton. She thanked Ryan for backing U.S. arms sales to Taiwan in the house and emphasized the importance of congressional support for Taiwan joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other multilateral trade blocs.

Tsai is scheduled to arrive July 2 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=245977&ctNode=2194&mp=9)