Premier Su Tseng-chang received Director William Brent Christensen of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) on Friday at the Executive Yuan to mark the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). Premier Su said that the TRA serves as an important foundation of relations between Taiwan and the U.S., and has had great significance for the maintenance of stability in the Taiwan Strait and the promotion of national security, economic development, and social advancements in Taiwan over the past four decades.
To highlight the importance of the TRA to the close partnership between Taiwan and the U.S., as well as peace and security in the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is planning a number of commemorative events to be held this year in Taiwan and the U.S., with a common theme of "An Enduring Partnership." Among the events planned are seminars involving major think tanks from the two sides to discuss both the Taiwan-U.S. relationship and Taipei's role in Washington's Indo-Pacific strategy. Also included is a multimedia campaign focused on short films.
The activities will allow the peoples of both nations to better understand the political, security, economic, social and many other strong bonds that link Taiwan and the U.S. and underlie their friendly relations, said Premier Su.
Founder of American think tank The Heritage Foundation, Dr. Edwin Feulner, is in Taiwan this week to publicize the foundation's 2019 Index of Economic Freedom, which lists Taiwan 10th in the world and fifth in Asia. These rankings clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the government's efforts to liberalize the economy and promote economic freedom, as well as Taiwan's status as an ideal partner for the U.S. to deepen bilateral economic and trade relations.
The AIT's declaration of 2019 as U.S.-Taiwan Travel Year is cause for celebration, said Premier Su, as it will encourage people-to-people exchanges between Taiwan and the U.S. He also looked to the AIT to facilitate greater interaction among officials of the two nations.
Included in the premier's many hopes for Taiwan-U.S. relations in the new year are the signing of a bilateral free trade agreement as quickly as possible, increasing cooperation on security issues and regional challenges, and continuing U.S. government support for Taiwan's ambitions to participate in international organizations. Taiwan will carry on with efforts to establish and contribute to peace in the Indo-Pacific region, as it strengthens substantive relations with the U.S.
Not only is 2019 the 40th anniversary of the TRA, Premier Su said, but it is also that of the AIT, and the institute's dedication of a new complex in Neihu further embodies the enduring friendship between Taiwan and the U.S. The premier thanked Director Christensen for his tireless efforts to advance bilateral exchanges and cooperation across the board since arriving in Taiwan in August 2018. He also expressed hope that Taiwan and the U.S. would continue building on the existing foundation of cooperation and mutual trust to deepen their close partnership.