AIT reaffirms support for Taiwan

2014-12-25

Taiwan’s recent accomplishments at home and abroad are supported and appreciated by the U.S. government, according to the American Institute in Taiwan.

As the year marking the 35th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act winds to a close, “relations between the U.S. and Taiwan are stronger than they have ever been,” AIT Director Christopher J. Marut said in a statement issued Dec. 23 in Taipei City.

A great indicator of solid bond was the visit by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy in April to celebrate 20 years of collaboration on related issues, Marut said.

Citing the “free, fair and transparent” November 29 elections as an example, Marut said the depth and vibrancy of Taiwan’s thriving democracy not only is important to the people on the island, but also has a demonstrative effect for others around the world.

On the global front, Taiwan is contributing to address the distress and turmoil brought by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, offering more than US$7 million in assistance to refugees displaced by the conflict.

Such relief took the form of a mobile hospital, 350 prefabricated shelters, some 3,000 tons of rice and psychological counseling. “Taiwan’s initiatives and donations are truly impressive,” Marut continued.

In terms of the fight against the ongoing Ebola epidemic, Taiwan has donated 100,000 sets of personal protective equipment to medical workers in West Africa, as well as US$1 million to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Foundation.

“We commend Taiwan for stepping up to help address this international problem, even as the epicenter of that concern is far from Taiwan’s shore,” the statement continued.

In addition to work to further enhance relations between people of the two sides, Marut expects bilateral trade to continue to rise, with Taiwan on track to become the U.S.’s 10th-largest trading partner this year. He also welcomed measures taken by the Taiwan government to create a friendlier environment for foreign investment.

Looking ahead, the U.S. official expects more progress in discussions under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which has been playing a key role in promoting open discussions of remaining challenges.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=225501&ctNode=445)