TAIPEI (TAIWAN) – During a dinner on Friday for a visiting top US State Department official, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen vowed to have deeper ties with Washington.
On Thursday, US Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Keith Krach arrived in Taipei for a three-day visit.
She also thanked Krach for coming to attend Saturday’s memorial service for late President Lee Teng-hui, who is hailed as the father of Taiwan’s democracy.
“I hope that Taiwan and the United States continue to work together to promote peace, stability, prosperity, and development in the Indo-Pacific, positively impacting the region,” Tsai said.
She said that relations between both countries have made much progress in recent years “with increasingly close interaction”.
“I hope that we are able to engage on even more issues and expand our bilateral cooperation, enhancing our relationship as trusted partners and building a solid foundation for the future.”
The president said the island is committed to boosting economic cooperation with the United States.
Earlier that day, Taiwan scrambled its fighter jets several times when Chinese fighter planes crossed the mid-point of the straits in a show of sabre rattling.
The same day, China had announced military drills and denounced the collusion between Taiwan, which it claims to be its territory, and the US.