STRATEGIC ROLE: The government thanked the US state secretary for his positive remarks about Taiwan in his speech about the US initiative at a forum in Washington
Taipei Times
Date: Aug 01, 2018
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it would soon propose ideas in
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addresses the Indo-Pacific Business Forum at the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington on Monday. Photo: AFP
response to the US’ Indo-Pacific initiative, as it expressed gratitude to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for mentioning the importance of Washington’s partnership with Taipei in a speech on the US administration’s strategy.
Speaking at a routine news conference in Taipei, Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Director-General Baushuan Ger (葛葆萱) said that the department’s Indo-Pacific Affairs Section, which was established in May as an advisory agency, has been closely observing concerned nations’ rhetoric about the initiative.
“So far, no country has proposed a specific strategy regarding the initiative. We will be paying close attention to their future remarks,” Ger said, adding that the department plans to expand the section’s staff of four to help it better accomplish its tasks.
Hudson Institute Center for Chinese Strategy director Michael Pillsbury, who served on US President Donald Trump’s transition team, said at a forum in Taipei last week that Taiwan should be more active in proposing ideas for the initiative, to which Ger responded that the government plans to do so in the near future.
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