RECOGNITION:The US is committed to finding ways for Taiwan to earn the respect that its contributions merit, US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Tong said

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 04, 2016
By: William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON

The US is confident that Taiwan can be a leader in helping solve pressing global and regional challenges, a senior Washington official said on Wednesday.

“Taiwan has a lot to offer in the way of capacity, expertise and resources and that is why we continue with our efforts to elevate Taiwan’s international profile and dignity,” US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Tong told a roundtable discussion on the Taiwan-US Global Cooperation Training Framework (GCTF) agreement at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at George Washington University.

That Tong was sitting alongside Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruce Linghu (令狐榮達) added to the meeting’s importance. Under the complex diplomatic protocols that rule US-Taiwan relations, senior officials rarely meet face to face this way.

“Today is unique, an unprecedented setup,” Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office representative Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡) said.

The GCTF agreement involves Taiwan and the US working together to train other regional nations on a wide variety of issues.     [FULL  STORY]