President Tsai receives US congressional delegation

2023/04/11

President Tsai said April 8 that Taiwan is committed to working with the U.S. and other like-minded partners to jointly defend the values of freedom and democracy.
 
Tsai made the remarks while hosting a luncheon for a delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives at the Presidential Office in Taipei City. Led by Rep. Michael McCaul, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the bipartisan group includes Reps. Young Kim, Ami Bera, French Hill, Guy Reschenthaler, Madeleine Dean, Michael Lawler and Nathaniel Moran.
 
The U.S. Congress continues to be a key force in developing relations between both sides, Tsai said. This is evidenced by the passage of the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act in the House earlier this year, she added.
 
The president also took the opportunity to thank Congress for fulfilling U.S. security commitments to Taiwan through bipartisan cooperation on legislation, which bolsters the country’s defenses and strengthens regional peace and stability. In addition to security cooperation, Tsai added that she looks forward to building closer bilateral partnership under the framework of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade.
 
According to Tsai, Taiwan will continue fulfilling its responsibilities in the international community while collaborating with other democracies to uphold shared values in the face of authoritarian expansion.
 
In his response, McCaul said Taiwan is his country’s eighth largest trading partner  and emphasized that freedom of navigation is vital to global economic prosperity. The chair additionally reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Taiwan’s defense through the sale of arms based on the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979 and reiterated that the U.S. stands with Taiwan. 


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