The New York Times
Date: March 21, 2018
By Chris Horton
TAIPEI, Taiwan — A State Department official on Wednesday reasserted America’s
President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan with Alex Wong, the American deputy assistant secretary of state, on Wednesday in Taipei, Taiwan. Mr. Wong praised Taiwan’s democratic path and said “sustainable growth can never hinge on the whim of a dictator.” CreditTyrone Siu/Reuters
commitment to Taiwan’s defense at a dinner attended by its president, a day after China’s leader issued a stern warning against any challenges to China’s claim to the island.
“The aim of U.S. policy is to ensure that Taiwan’s people can continue along their chosen path, free from coercion,” the official, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alex Wong, said at the banquet in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, as President Tsai Ing-wen looked on.
Speaking to 700 people, including representatives of top American companies and senior Taiwanese officials, at an American Chamber of Commerce function, Mr. Wong said the United States wanted “to strengthen our ties with the Taiwan people and to bolster Taiwan’s ability to defend its democracy.”
“Our commitment to those goals has never been stronger,” added Mr. Wong, whose remarks came less than week after President Trump, over China’s objection, signed the Taiwan Travel Act, a measure encouraging official, high-level visits between the United States and Taiwan. [FULL STORY]
