President Tsai eyes greater Taiwan-US cooperation in promoting regional peace, security

2017/10/26

President Tsai Ing-wen said Oct. 24 that Taiwan and the U.S. should capitalize on strong bilateral relations in working together to further promote regional peace, stability and security.
 
 The two sides have long enjoyed robust exchanges across a broad spectrum of areas such as trade and investment, defense and major international issues, Tsai said. It is expected this close collaboration will continue going forward and contribute to advancing prosperity across the region, she added.
 
 Tsai made the remarks while receiving Daniel Russel, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, at the Office of the President in Taipei City.
 
 According to the president, examples of close coordination between Taiwan and the U.S. on major international issues include the Global Cooperation and Training Framework. More initiatives modeled after the GCTF are in the pipeline, Tsai said, adding that these will allow Taiwan to make a bigger contribution to the international community.
 
 Launched in June 2015, the GCTF enables the two sides to address global challenges in areas like education, energy, environmental protection, international humanitarian assistance, regional development, technology and public health. As at the end of last year, Taiwan had hosted six workshops involving more than 100 representatives from 21 countries and territories.
 
 The president also thanked Russel for his steadfast support of the nation over the years, as well as efforts in fostering closer collaboration between Taiwan and the U.S. It is hoped that expanded opportunities for communication and exchanges with Russel will open up during his appointment as diplomat in residence and senior fellow with U.S.-headquartered think tank Asia Society Policy Institute, she added.
 
 Later the same day, Russel echoed Tsai’s remarks during an address at National Chengchi University in Taipei. The enduring interest of the U.S. is to sustain the success, prosperity and self-determination of the people of Taiwan, he said, adding that both sides enjoy a deeply rooted friendship. “The key element of that relationship is a shared belief in democracy, in the rule of law and human rights.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=2&post=123729)