President Tsai urges closer Taiwan-US ties at banquet for Undersecretary Krach

From Taiwan Today

2020-09-21

New Southbound Policy。President Tsai Ing-wen (front, third right) is joined by Undersecretary Keith Krach (second left) and other officials from Taiwan and the U.S. during a banquet at the presidential residence Sept. 18 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of the Presidential Office)

President Tsai Ing-wen (front, third right) is joined by Undersecretary Keith Krach (second left) and other officials from Taiwan and the U.S. during a banquet at the presidential residence Sept. 18 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of the Presidential Office)

President Tsai Ing-wen urged closer Taiwan-U.S. ties based on expanded cooperation and exchanges across a broad spectrum of areas during a banquet for Undersecretary Keith Krach and his delegation at the presidential residence Sept. 18 in Taipei City.

It is hoped Taiwan and the U.S. continue enhancing bilateral relations as trusted partners and building a solid foundation for the future, Tsai said. This will enable the two sides to keep working together in promoting peace, stability, prosperity and development in the Indo-Pacific, she added.

According to Tsai, the government and people are grateful for Krach’s contributions to advancing Taiwan-U.S. ties since taking over as undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment at the U.S. Department of State. The visit to Taiwan by Krach and the delegation for the memorial service of late President Lee Teng-hui reflects U.S. support for democratic Taiwan, as well as the importance the like-minded partners place on shared values like freedom, democracy and respect for human rights, she said.

Such a banquet is an opportunity to welcome good and longtime friends of Taiwan, Tsai said. The country is committed to taking key steps, and engaging in exchanges of opinion to bring about a new milestone in the deepening of Taiwan-U.S. economic cooperation, she added.

Other attendees at the banquet included Jaushieh Joseph Wu, minister of foreign affairs; Wellington Koo, secretary-general of the National Security Council; Wang Mei-hua, minister of economic affairs; Morris Chang, founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.; Robert A. Destro, assistant secretary for the Bureau of Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State; Kelly E. Currie, ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues at the U.S. Department of State; and Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute in Taiwan.

Krach, the highest-level official from the U.S. Department of State to visit Taiwan since 1979, and the delegation departed Sept. 20 from Taipei Songshan Airport. The three-day visit was described in a farewell tweet on the official account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as reflecting the “value of late President Lee’s contributions to Taiwan democracy,” and enabling “both sides discuss key issues while strengthening the global partnership.” (YCH-E)

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