President Tsai Ing-wen said Jan. 25 that Taiwan is committed to deepening exchanges with the U.S. to jointly bolster the democratic alliance and advance global prosperity and development.
The president made the remarks while meeting with a cross-party delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives’ Congressional Taiwan Caucus led by its co-chairs Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Ami Bera at the Presidential Office in Taipei City.
Tsai called the group’s visit meaningful, coming as the countries mark the 45th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act. She also expressed appreciation to Congress, and the Taiwan Caucus in particular, for longstanding bipartisan support for Taiwan-U.S. relations.
The caucus plays a key role in strengthening the two sides’ economic and trade ties, Tsai said, citing its petition backing negotiations on the signing of a bilateral trade agreement in 2019 and another supporting Taiwan’s inclusion in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework in 2022, both of which paved the way for the Taiwan-U.S. Initiative on 21st-Century Trade.
Tsai took the opportunity to urge the passage of the U.S.-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act, which she said will help create a mutually beneficial environment for bilateral economic exchange.
In response, Diaz-Balart said the delegation’s visit demonstrates the U.S.’ solid support for Taiwan, and expressed his hope that good news is on the way with respect to the double taxation issue.
Following Diaz-Balart’s remarks, Bera spoke to congratulate Taiwan on its successful presidential elections. The democratic world should address China’s cross-strait and regional aggression, he said, reaffirming the TRA’s core principle that the people of Taiwan choose their own path forward. (YCH-E)
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