Taiwan President Lai Ching-te visited the three diplomatic allies in the South Pacific and transited through the United States. He was invited to deliver a speech at a think tank in the US on the topic of “A Shared Future: Taiwan as a Partner for Peace and Prosperity in the Indo-Pacific Region,” emphasizing Taiwan’s “Three Positive Actions” for the Indo-Pacific region and globally.
President Lai Ching-te departed on November 30 to visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau in the Pacific, beginning a 7-day, 6-night journey themed “Prospering the Southern Islands, Sustaining Wisdom.” During his trip, he transited through the United States, including stops in Hawaii and Guam.
The spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 1st day condemned the US for arranging President Lai Ching-te’s transit, and China has made a solemn representation to the US. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China pointed out that President Lai’s transit through the US is a legitimate exercise of the sovereign rights of a sovereign state.
On the afternoon of the 1st local time in the US, President Lai Ching-te was invited to the East-West Center to have discussions with scholars and experts present. The participants included the director of the East-West Center, Suzanne Vares-Lum, former director Richard R. Vuylsteke, former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) James Moriarty, executive director of AIT Ingrid Larson, Secretary-General of the Office of the President of the Republic of China Pan Meng-an, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu, Chairman of the Overseas Community Affairs Council Wu Hsiao-ching, and Ambassador to the US Hsueh Da-wou.
During the closed-door meeting at the East-West Center, President Lai Ching-te expressed gratitude to the director Suzanne Vares-Lum for the arrangement and highlighted the long-standing efforts of the center to promote mutual understanding between the United States and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as jointly organizing the “Pacific Island Youth Leaders Training Program” with Taiwan, nurturing over two hundred future leaders in the Pacific region, demonstrating a shared commitment to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
President Lai Ching-te also thanked the United States for its longstanding support based on the Taiwan Relations Act and the “Six Assurances,” which have continued to enhance the Taiwan-US cooperative partnership. The initial agreements under the “Taiwan-US 21st Century Trade Initiative” have not only created new opportunities for cooperation but have also addressed challenges such as economic coercion, supply chain resilience, and double taxation.
In his address at the East-West Center, President Lai Ching-te spoke in English on the theme of “A Shared Future: Taiwan as a Partner for Peace and Prosperity in the Indo-Pacific Region,” emphasizing Taiwan’s “Three Positive Actions” for the Indo-Pacific region and the world:
1. Taiwan actively implements the “Four Pillars of Peace Action Plan,” including strengthening self-defense, enhancing economic security, deepening democratic connections, and promoting dialogue and exchanges. Taiwan is committed to strengthening national defense, enhancing overall societal defense resilience, and has established the “National Defense Resilience Committee” at the Presidential Office. The recent cooperation between Taiwan and the US has demonstrated Taiwan’s commitment to its own security and the joint commitment of Taiwan and the US to peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
2. Taiwan actively contributes to the global supply chain, particularly in high-tech industries such as semiconductors. The Taiwan-US partnership has not only strengthened these industries but has also highlighted the strategic importance of Taiwan as a trustworthy and reliable partner. Taiwan actively collaborates with like-minded countries, showcasing Taiwan’s use of its expertise to contribute to global development.
3. Taiwan actively endeavors to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region. By transparently cooperating in areas such as public health, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and climate transformation, Taiwan promotes close and friendly relations with Pacific allies, achieving the goals of “sustainability of wisdom,” “sustainability of democracy,” and “sustainability of friendship.” At the same time, Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and closely cooperate with like-minded countries to uphold the shared ideals of “strength brings peace,” safeguarding the universal values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.
Following the meeting, spokesperson of the Office of the President of the Republic of China, Kuo Ya-hui, relayed the content of the discussion, stating that after President Lai’s English speech, there was a question and answer session. When asked about his vision for the next 4 or 8 years, President Lai mentioned that Taiwan’s biggest challenge currently is the threat from China. As the president, he has three missions for Taiwan’s future planning. First, maintaining national growth and development; second, strengthening national defense capabilities, emphasizing the importance of defense autonomy and military cooperation with the democratic camp.
Third, taking care of the 23 million people’s livelihoods and especially addressing the needs of vulnerable groups. President Lai stressed that he believes a great country is one that treats everyone well, ensuring that every individual within the country can thrive. He hopes that Taiwan will step onto the world stage in the future, contributing to global peace, stability, and prosperity, and that when the world mentions Taiwan, it will see it as a kind and good nation.
As President Lai Ching-te visited the three South Pacific diplomatic allies and transited through Hawaii, on November 30, President Biden approved the 18th arms sale to Taiwan worth $387 million, including equipment for F-16 fighters. A spokesperson for the US State Department reiterated the US stance, stating that the transit of high-ranking officials from Taiwan through the US is a routine matter, “in line with long-standing practices, the unofficial nature of our relationship with Taiwan, and the ‘One China Policy.’ This policy has not changed.”