Tsai reiterates Taiwan’s commitment to economic integration

2016/12/14

Republic of China (Taiwan) President Tsai Ing-wen said Dec. 12 that the government is committed to implementing economic and regulatory reforms and engaging in dialogue with major trading partners so the country can play a greater role in regional economic integration.

“As a member of the global community, Taiwan is dedicated to and capable of joining international organizations,” Tsai said. “The nation should not be excluded from any comprehensive free trade agreements in Asia-Pacific.”

The president made the remarks while receiving Matthew J. Matthews, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands and U.S. senior official for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, at the Office of the President in Taipei City.

This marked Matthews’ second meeting with Tsai in the past six months. The U.S. official also met with the president in June while visiting Taipei to deliver a keynote speech at the Conference on Energy Efficiency in Asia, staged under the Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperation and Training Framework.

Launched in June 2015, GCTF enables the two sides to expand collaboration in addressing global issues such as education, environmental protection, humanitarian assistance and regional development.

According to the president, both sides have made tremendous progress in strengthening relations over the past years across such areas as culture, economics, politics and security.

The high level of mutual trust between Taipei and Washington is also demonstrated by their close cooperation on a raft of APEC issues, most recently the announcement during the Economic Leaders’ Meeting Nov. 18 in Lima, Peru, of their intention to jointly support the establishment of an APEC subfund to advance women’s economic empowerment in the region.

With GCTF providing a strong platform for ongoing cooperation, Tsai said she expects Taiwan and the U.S. to further strengthen ties going forward. In particular, the president called on Washington to conclude a bilateral investment agreement or free trade agreement with Taiwan.

In response, Matthews reiterated U.S. support for Taiwan, noting that both sides are committed to building a more liberal and open trade and investment environment. He also said the U.S. looks forward to enhancing cooperation and exchanges under APEC and GCTF.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=250317&ctNode=2194&mp=9)