Current:Home > MarketsUS delegation praises Taiwan’s democracy after pro-independence presidential candidate wins election -GlobalInvest
US delegation praises Taiwan’s democracy after pro-independence presidential candidate wins election
View
Date:2025-04-24 23:24:29
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Retired U.S. officials met with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday and praised the island’s democratic process that produced a new president-elect and legislature over the weekend in defiance of China’s claim of sovereignty over Taiwan and threat to annex it by military force.
“Taiwan’s democracy has set a shining example for the world, a democratic success story based on transparency, the rule of law and respect for human rights and freedoms,” former national security advisor Stephen Hadley said.
America’s commitment to Taiwan is “rock solid,” he said.
Taiwan on Saturday elected current Vice President Lai Ching-te as the new head of government, a move likely to prompt China to maintain its military, diplomatic and economic threats against the island.
Hadley was joined by former Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg, who affirmed bipartisan support for Taiwan “based on our unofficial but warm relationship, our insistence on exclusively peaceful means to address the cross (Taiwan Strait) issues, the importance of dialogue and the avoidance of unilateral efforts to change the status quo.”
Tsai said following the election that Taiwan’s “need to continue to progress and move forward remains unchanged.”
“We hope that Taiwan-U.S. relations continue to advance and serve as a key driving force in regional and global prosperity and development,” she said.
Despite having cut official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, the U.S. remains the island’s chief diplomatic ally and source of military hardware and intelligence.
Taiwan’s presidential and parliamentary elections have always been a source of contention between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait that divided amid civil war in 1949, amplifying the difference between Taiwan’s free-wheeling democratic process and China’s strict Communist Party authoritarian rule.
That divide is a major flashpoint in U.S.-China relations that potentially risks leading to an actual war in the future, accentuated by China’s claim to virtually the entire South China Sea and competition for markets and diplomatic influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Lai’s victory was a setback for China’s efforts to bring Taiwan under its control. His Democratic Progressive Party advocates maintaining the status quo of de-facto independence, under which the island’s 23 million people carry Taiwanese passports, maintain their own government and defense and issue their own currency, but are denied recognition at the United Nations in deference to China.
China has refused to acknowledge the result of the election, which left the legislature closely divided between the DPP and the Nationalists, also known as the Kuomintang or KMT. China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the election that “the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair” and “the basic fact that ... Taiwan is part of China will not change.”
Taiwan said Beijing’s position “is completely inconsistent with international understanding and the current cross-strait situation. It goes against the expectation of global democratic communities and goes against the will of the people of Taiwan to uphold democratic values. Such cliches are not worth refuting.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai on his victory, prompting the Chinese Foreign Ministry to say that message “sends a gravely wrong signal to the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces” and goes against a U.S. commitment to maintain only unofficial ties with Taiwan.
Lai’s victory means the Democratic Progressive Party will hold the presidency for a third four-year term, following eight years under Tsai. Lai won a three-way race for president with 40% of the vote, less than the clear majority Tsai won in 2020. He will take office in May.
___
Associated Press video journalist Johnson Lai contributed to this report.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Sam Taylor
- Denmark's King Frederik X begins reign after Queen Margrethe abdicates, ending historic 52-year tenure
- Turkey releases Israeli soccer player Sagiv Jehezkel after detention for displaying Gaza war message
- UK leader Rishi Sunak faces Conservative rebellion in Parliament over his Rwanda asylum plan
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Tanzania says Kenyan authorities bow to pressure and will allow Air Tanzania cargo flights
- Emmys 2023: Ali Wong Gives a Candid Look at Being a Mom of 2
- Emmy Awards 2023: The complete list of winners
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- From Hot Priest to ‘All of Us Strangers,’ Andrew Scott is ready to ‘share more’ of himself
Ranking
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Pakistan’s ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan indicted on charge of violating Islamic marriage law
- What Pedro Pascal Had to Say About Kieran Culkin at Emmys
- Nikki Haley vows to be stronger in New Hampshire after third place finish in Iowa Republican caucuses
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Denmark's King Frederik X begins reign after Queen Margrethe abdicates, ending historic 52-year tenure
- 100 miserable days: CBS News Gaza producer Marwan al-Ghoul shares his perspective on the war
- Ayo Edebiri's Message to Her Younger Self Is Refreshingly Relatable
Recommendation
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
Nikki Haley vows to be stronger in New Hampshire after third place finish in Iowa Republican caucuses
Jeremy Allen White's Sweet Emmys Shoutout to Daughters Ezer and Dolores Will Melt Your Heart
Emmys 2023: Matthew Perry Honored With Special Tribute During In Memoriam Segment
Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
Another day of frigid wind chills and brutal cold across much of the U.S.
Our Emmys Recap
How Pregnant Suki Waterhouse Had Emmys Dress Redesigned to Fit Baby Bump