Taiwan President Meets US and Japan Representatives to Pledge Strengthened Cooperation Against Chinese Pressure

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 13th, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, who recently won re-election, pledged to strengthen cooperation by meeting with representatives from the United States and Japan to counter China's threats.

According to SCMP, President Tsai met with William Brent Christensen, the Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which serves as the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan, the day before. The two agreed to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries in terms of security and economy.

President Tsai said, "We will continue to cooperate with the United States and enhance our security capabilities," to which Director Christensen responded, "The United States and Taiwan are not just simple partners but members of a democratic community that share values."

President Tsai also met with Mitsuo Ohashi, Chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, saying, "Taiwan is making every effort to maintain stability by neither succumbing to (China's) pressure nor taking hasty actions." Currently, Taiwan is Japan's fourth-largest trading partner.

Meanwhile, in the election held on the 11th, President Tsai won re-election by securing 8.17 million votes (57.1%), defeating Kuomintang candidate Han Kuo-yu, the mayor of Kaohsiung, who received 5.52 million votes (38.6%).

Following this, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement congratulating President Tsai on her re-election. The Chinese central government protested the congratulatory messages from the United States, Japan, and others on President Tsai's re-election, demanding "an end to interference in internal affairs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.