President Tsai Ing-wen said Nov. 5 that Taiwan is committed to working closely with the U.S. and other like-minded countries in advancing freedom and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
 
Taiwan will continue making a significant contribution to the development of the region through such government initiatives as the New Southbound Policy, Tsai said. This farsighted measure is also strengthening the country’s ties with target countries via a raft of mutually beneficial cooperative relationships, she added.
 
The NSP is enhancing Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. It is seen as the government’s most effective policy for advancing Taiwan’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific while promoting peace, stability and prosperity.
 
Tsai made the remarks while receiving James F. Moriarty, chairman of Washington-headquartered American Institute in Taiwan, at the Office of the President in Taipei City. Making his fifth official visit since taking the helm of the AIT, Moriarty will meet with officials and attend the annual joint committee meeting of the Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperation and Training Framework.
 
According to Tsai, GCTF underscores the strength of Taiwan-U.S. ties founded on the shared values of freedom and democracy. The framework is a successful platform for both sides to beef up collaboration on major regional and global issues, she said.
 
An expanded program of GCTF activities will be scheduled going forward, Tsai said, adding that the topics are to be broadened and more nations from across the Indo-Pacific invited to participate.
 
In response, Moriarty said GCTF is recognition of how much Taiwan has to offer the global community. The framework also represents an affirmation of U.S. support for finding ways to assist Taiwan in preserving and expanding its international space, he added.
 
Since GCTF’s inception in 2015, Taiwan and the U.S. have organized 13 workshops in areas like combating disinformation, disaster relief, e-commerce, education, energy, environmental protection, humanitarian assistance, public health and women’s empowerment. More than 260 representatives from 33 countries have attended these events, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (KWS-E)
 
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