Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

President Tsai Ing-wen met with US Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft via videoconference on the morning of January 14. The president thanked the United States and Ambassador Craft for their staunch support for Taiwan. President Tsai expressed regret that the ambassador was unable to travel to Taiwan on this occasion, but said she hoped to welcome the ambassador to Taiwan in the future. The president also emphasized that Taiwan is a force for good, and that we are able and determined to contribute to the international community. Moving forward, the president said, the people of Taiwan will keep striving to participate in the United Nations and UN-affiliated meetings and events, and continue to show that Taiwan is a vital partner to the world.

A transcript of President Tsai's remarks follows:

I am pleased that we can still meet today, thanks to modern technology. Even though you could not make the trip this time, I hope you can still visit Taiwan in the future. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your staunch support for Taiwan's international participation, and for your efforts in deepening the Taiwan-US relationship. Thank you for always speaking up for Taiwan at the most important time.

The people of Taiwan have been inspired by your action. They actually like you a lot. Whether it was meeting Ambassador [James K. J.] Lee (李光章) in New York, participating in the GCTF (Global Cooperation and Training Framework) workshop, or speaking out publicly for Taiwan, your advocacy brought our countries closer and made the world understand Taiwan better.

Also, your photo with a stuffed Formosan black bear on Twitter was a big hit here in Taiwan. This small bear became not just a symbol of Taiwan, but also inspired our younger generation to learn about and join the effort to help Taiwan become a part of the United Nations.

We will continue to show that Taiwan is a force for good and vital partner to the world. And we are able and determined to contribute to the international community. Moving forward, we will keep pushing for our participation in the United Nations and UN-affiliated meetings and events. I hope that the United States will continue to support our efforts, and your advice as to how we can make advancement in this regard is very valuable to us.

We regret that you couldn't make it to Taiwan this time around, but I very much look forward to hosting you here in the near future. I am sure you will enjoy the beautiful scenery, delicious food and friendly people of Taiwan. Thank you again for what you have done for Taiwan. I hope that we'll see you very soon in Taiwan in person.

President Tsai and Ambassador Craft also engaged in an extensive discussion about Taiwan's international participation, strengthening Taiwan-US cooperation, our shared democratic values, and opportunities to exchange educational resources.

Among the others who participated in the meeting were US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Feith, National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄), Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), and American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director William Brent Christensen.