President Tsai Ing-wen praises U.S. ties as FAPA celebrates Taiwan Relations Act | Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Public Affairs Association (FAPA) hosted a banquet in Taipei on Saturday, March 30, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act and the first anniversary of the Taiwan Travel Act becoming law.

President Tsai Ing-wen was invited to deliver a speech at the event. In her speech, Tsai Ing-wen pointed out that under her leadership, Taiwan-US relations have steadily improved.

Tsai Ing-wen noted the importance of the Taiwan Relations Act and the Taiwan Travel Act as clear evidence of the enduring friendship and shared values ​​between the United States and Taiwan.

The President also thanked Washington DC for FAPA on behalf of the people of Taiwan. She praised the United States for its more than 40 years of commitment to strengthening US-Taiwan relations and protecting Taiwan’s sovereignty.

In her speech, Tsai Ing-wen also talked about the upcoming presidential election in January 2020, emphasizing that it is very important for the DPP to maintain unity and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Tsai, who made no direct reference to her DPP challenger, William Lai, her government’s former premier, said maintaining Taiwan’s sovereignty must be the DPP’s top priority going into the election.

FAPA Director Guo Zhengguang also delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. He expressed hope that this year Taiwan and U.S. government officials will implement the measures required by the Taiwan Travel Act.

American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) director Brent Christensen was unable to attend Saturday’s banquet, but AIT issued a formal statement for the FAPA event, praising the importance of the Taiwan-Taiwan relationship based on “milestone Legislation of the significance of the Taiwan Relations Act, which was recently strengthened by the Taiwan Travel Act.

AIT promotes the relationship of “If You Are the One” and “Siblings”, and plans to hold a celebration for the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act in April, featuring “a strong foundation and a bright future” between the United States and China. 2019 Taiwan Relations.