President Tsai Ing-wen met with Randall Schriver, chairman of Project 2049 Institute and former U.S. Department of Defense assistant secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs, Feb. 20 at the Presidential Office, emphasizing the two sides’ long-standing commitment to regional peace and freedom.

Schriver was joined during his visit by Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu and National Security Council Secretary-General David Lee.
 
Tsai thanked Schriver for strengthening the Taiwan-U.S. security relationship during his tenure as assistant secretary for IPSA, particularly for his role in facilitating an agreement to sell the country F-16V fighter jets in 2019. She also expressed her appreciation for Schriver’s continued support of Taiwan’s democracy and security.
 
Last month’s presidential election once again proved the people’s determination to uphold democratic values, Tsai said. She reiterated her hope to work closely with like-minded countries such as the U.S. to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
 
Tsai stressed that excluding Taiwan from the World Health Organization creates a gap in international efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19. She extended thanks to the U.S. Congress and people for their long-term support of Taiwan’s participation in the WHO as well as their recognition of the right to health for all global citizens. (TYT-E)
 
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