President Tsai Ing-wen received a U.S. delegation headed by Republican National Committee Co-Chairman Bob Paduchik May 23 at the Office of the President in Taipei City, stating that Taiwan is a reliable partner of the U.S. in regional security and that the two nations will continue working together on facilitating regional peace and prosperity.
 
The ongoing assistance and support of the U.S. play an important role in helping Taiwan expand its international space, Tsai said. Taiwan recognizes its responsibility as a member of the international community and is willing and able to make further meaningful contributions to the world, she added.
 
Each year, the RNC sends a delegation to Taiwan, while this is the first time that Paduchik has visited the nation. The president said that such visits help deepen understanding between the two sides.
 
Tsai also expressed gratitude for the Republican Party’s support for Taiwan. In the party’s 2016 platform, it reaffirmed that Taiwan-U.S. relations should be based on the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances, and that the party will continue to support Taiwan in a variety of areas such as international participation, a free trade agreement and timely acquisition of defensive arms including technology to build diesel submarines.
 
Signed into law in 1979 after the U.S. switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing, the TRA authorizes the continuation of substantive relations between Taiwan and the U.S.
 
The Six Assurances were issued in 1982 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, stipulating that the U.S. would not set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan; revise the TRA; consult with mainland China on arms sales to Taiwan; mediate between Taiwan and mainland China; alter its position on the sovereignty of Taiwan or exert pressure on Taiwan to enter into talks with mainland China.
 
According to the president, Taiwan was the U.S.’ 10th largest trading partner and the U.S. was Taiwan’s second largest trading partner in 2016. Based on such close trade relations, the government looks forward to fostering stronger economic and trade ties with the U.S., she said.
 
The president also called for further substantive collaboration and exchanges between the two sides in a range of fields spanning counterterrorism, humanitarian aid and national defense. (CPY-E)
 
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