Washington, Jan 15 (Agency) Taiwan and the United States will join forces in addressing various global challenges in the future, outgoing Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen said at a meeting with a US delegation on Monday. The delegation, comprising former US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, arrived in Taiwan on Sunday in the wake of a local general election. “In the future, the same way as we fought the pandemic together, Taiwan and the US will work together on addressing various global challenges,” Tsai said. Tsai said the visit of US officials demonstrated not only the US’s support for Taiwanese democracy but also the “close and firm partnership between Taiwan and the US.” She expressed certainty that the partnership would expand to cover climate sustainability, scientific development, and education.
The Taiwanese official also voiced her hope that bilateral cooperation would keep developing and become a driver of regional and global prosperity and development. On Saturday, Lai Ching-te of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was named the winner of the election for the island’s head after securing 40.05 per cent of the vote. The DPP itself, however, lost 11 seats in the island’s parliament as a result of the elections. Taiwan has been governed independently of mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan, a territory with its own elected government, maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.