A bipartisan delegation led by United States Senator Tammy Duckworth visited Taiwan today, meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen. Duckworth expressed her excitement to join Senator Sullivan in proposing legislation related to Taiwan. Sullivan believes that the “STAND with Taiwan Act” will effectively enhance regional deterrence capabilities.
President Tsai Ing-wen warmly welcomed the delegation and expressed gratitude for their contributions to deepening Taiwan-US relations. With the support of everyone, initiatives and resources related to Taiwan have been incorporated into annual defense authorization bills in recent years, including the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act passed in April. President Tsai emphasized Taiwan’s role as a helmsman for world peace and a promoter of global prosperity, looking forward to closer exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and the US to contribute more to regional development.
In her remarks, Duckworth thanked President Tsai for the warm welcome and expressed her pleasure in personally visiting Taiwan to extend greetings. As a global leader, the United States has a responsibility to stand up in support of friends like Taiwan. The friendship between the US and Taiwan is built on shared democratic values and spans across various fields.
Duckworth pointed out her ongoing cooperation with colleagues across the political spectrum in the US to support the economies of both countries and ensure the provision of vaccines to Taiwan during the severe pandemic, strengthening the enduring friendship between the US and Taiwan.
Furthermore, Duckworth highlighted cooperation in education programs and scholar exchange initiatives, including enhancing collaboration between Taiwan’s General Mobilization Department and the US National Guard. Trade relations in areas such as chip manufacturing and agricultural investments continue to deepen between the two countries. The partnership between the US and Taiwan extends across various fields, cementing their strong and profound friendship.
Duckworth expressed her honor and pride in leading the bipartisan delegation to Taiwan with Senator Sullivan, rotating leadership roles. As friends and partners, they will continue to support Taiwan.
To reaffirm their commitment to pursuing peace, stability, and deepening the US-Taiwan partnership, Duckworth announced her support for the “STAND with Taiwan Act” proposed by Sullivan. She hopes to be the first Democratic Senator to endorse the legislation and looks forward to its submission upon the delegation’s return.
In his remarks, Senator Sullivan, on behalf of the American people and the Senate, congratulated President Tsai on her election and inauguration, commending Taiwan as one of the freest places in the world. Expressing unwavering, principled, and bipartisan support for Taiwan has been ongoing in the US for 75 years, indicating that President Tsai and the people of Taiwan can expect continued strong bipartisan support from the US in the next 75 years.
Similar to Taiwan, the US is a rule of law country, with its commitment to Taiwan reflected in the Taiwan Relations Act. This legislation declares any use of force against Taiwan as a matter of grave concern in the Taiwan Strait for the US. The law also pledges to provide Taiwan with self-defense capabilities while maintaining the ability to assist Taiwan in its defense.
“As President Tsai mentioned, the US Congress has passed the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act signed into law by President Biden, providing billions of dollars in weapon systems and other capabilities to Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen deterrence goals,” Sullivan stated.
Sullivan shared that the delegation’s goal was to assess and enhance deterrence capabilities, highlighting the effort to secure Duckworth’s endorsement of the “STAND with Taiwan Act” for over a year until her agreement during this visit. He believes that this success was possible due to meeting President Tsai and the people of Taiwan, anticipating that the legislation will effectively enhance regional deterrence capabilities.
President Tsai, in her address, expressed her delight in welcoming the first delegation from the US Senate since taking office on May 20. Recalling the visit by Duckworth, Sullivan, and Coons during the pandemic in 2021, where they announced the donation of vaccines to assist Taiwan in overcoming the challenges of the pandemic, Butler’s visit this time holds significance as a representative of the federal government. Their robust support for Taiwan through actions deserves the most sincere welcome and gratitude, according to President Tsai.
“All of you are significant contributors to deepening Taiwan-US relations. With everyone’s support, both the annual defense authorization bills and the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act passed in April have included numerous initiatives and resources related to Taiwan,” President Tsai remarked.
President Tsai emphasized that the guests’ visit further demonstrates the solid partnership between Taiwan and the US. Facing challenges such as the pandemic, mutual support has been evident; in countering authoritarian expansion, cooperation has been strengthened. Exchanges between Taiwan and the US in various fields have deepened and broadened over the past several years, along with collaborative efforts in combating misinformation to defend democracy.
As mentioned in her inauguration speech, President Tsai reiterated Taiwan’s commitment to being a helmsman for world peace and a promoter of global prosperity. “In the future, we will continue to safeguard democracy, allowing Taiwan’s democratic light to shine brightly on the world. We also look forward to continued support from the US government and Congress for the new administration, enabling Taiwan and the US to make further contributions to regional prosperity through closer exchanges and cooperation.”
Today, the delegation was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu and Sandra Oudkirk, Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Taipei Office, to meet President Tsai at the Presidential Office, with National Security Council Secretary-General David Tawei Lee also present.