U.S. post-election group affirms bipartisan support for Taiwan: AIT
ROC Central News Agency
01/16/2024 01:38 PM
Taipei, Jan. 16 (CNA) A just-concluded trip to Taiwan by former American officials was meant to congratulate Taiwan on its latest democratic elections and to show bipartisan support for bilateral ties, the visiting chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said Tuesday.
Serving as special envoys from Washington, former U.S. national security adviser Steve Hadley and ex-Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg arrived in Taiwan on Sunday evening, one day after Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) was elected Taiwan's new leader.
At a press conference Tuesday, AIT Chairwoman Laura Rosenberger said she and the two former officials were in Taiwan to convey "the congratulations of the American people" and to "underscore the bipartisan support for the U.S.-Taiwan partnership and our support for a smooth transition."
The AIT represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties.
The three of them met with outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and President-elect Lai on Monday.
During those meetings, both sides discussed the importance of "continuity in key policy areas, including our maintaining the cross-strait status quo on defense issues and on economic relations and people-to-people ties," according to Rosenberger.
Lai of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won Taiwan's presidential election on Jan. 13, giving the DPP an unprecedented third consecutive presidential term.
Tsai could not run for reelection because Taiwan's presidents are limited to two four-year terms.
Later Monday, the group also met separately with opposition Kuomintang presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) and opposition Taiwan People's Party candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
In those encounters, the U.S. delegates highlighted that the U.S. partnership with Taiwan "transcends party lines" and that Washington will continue to "work across the political spectrum in Taiwan," Rosenberger said.
"We know campaigns are hard fought but also know that all in Taiwan share a deep interest in what's best for Taiwan, regardless of their political affiliations," she said.
Referencing the Jan. 13 elections, the AIT chair reiterated and reaffirmed that Washington's policy toward Taiwan "will remain the same regardless of the elections outcome."
"That's because U.S. interests in Taiwan, and our deep and abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait will not change when a new Taiwan administration takes office."
According to the AIT, it has been a practice for the U.S. government to ask former senior officials to travel to Taiwan in a private capacity, as did Hadley and Steinberg, following a presidential election.
Shortly after President Tsai was first elected in 2016, Washington sent former Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns to Taipei to meet Tsai and then-President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), with then-Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken visiting Beijing at the same time.
(By Wu Sheng-hung and Joseph Yeh)
Enditem/ls
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
