President Tsai receives NBR delegation, eyes closer Taiwan-US cooperatio

2023/02/04

President Tsai Ing-wen said Feb. 2 that Taiwan is committed to strengthening the country’s self-defense capabilities while continuing to deepen cooperation with the U.S. and other like-minded partners.
 
Tsai made the remarks while receiving Adm. Philip S. Davidson, former commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and members of his delegation from the U.S. think tank National Bureau of Asian Research at the Presidential Office in Taipei City.
 
Taiwan must ensure national security in the face of authoritarian expansion, Tsai said. To this end, the government announced plans to realign the country’s military forces earlier this year and will reinstate a one-year term of mandatory military service starting 2024, she added.
 
According to Tsai, Taiwan works to safeguard regional peace and uphold freedom and democracy. The government will keep marshaling the country’s strength to contribute to prosperity and development in the Indo-Pacific, she said.
 
In addition, Taiwan and the U.S. have continued to bolster economic and trade collaboration, as evidenced by a new round of meetings held on the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade last month, Tsai said, adding that she looks forward to furthering the two sides’ cooperation in areas spanning supply chains, telecommunications security, and science and technology.
 
In response, Davidson said the topics of the discussions over the past few days ranged from Taiwan’s vibrant democracy and civil society to China’s actions toward Taiwan and ways to strengthen the Taiwan-US relationship. He added that he looks forward to learning more from Tsai’s perspectives on relevant issues.
 
Following the meeting, the delegation attended a banquet held by Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu. In a tweet on the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s official account, the ministry said the visit signifies the key role Taiwan plays in Washington’s geopolitical strategy to safeguard peace and stability in the region.


Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)