Taipei, May 30 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen said Tuesday that United States' arms sales to Taiwan have not just been in the interest of Taiwan but also have benefited the U.S. and other like-minded countries.
Tsai made the remarks while receiving a group of U.S. senators, telling them that U.S. sales of defensive weapons to Taiwan are conducive to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The U.S. visitors were led by Cory Gardner (R-CO), chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, and accompanied by Kin Moy, director of the American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) Taipei Office, which represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties.
The president said that in addition to continuing talks with the U.S. about arms sales, Taiwan also hopes to have discussions with the U.S. on issues related to signing a bilateral trade and investment agreement, which she believes will promote bilateral industrial development.
Gardner, who sees the Asia-Pacific region as critical to the U.S., said Taiwan is an important ally of the U.S. and he expressed hope that the partnership will continue to grow.
He said he will reaffirm the Taiwan Relations Act -- the key legislation governing U.S. ties with Taiwan -- in a proposed Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) and emphasize the importance of mutual visits by senior officials of the two countries.
He also said he expects U.S. sales of defensive arms to Taiwan to become a regular topic in senior-level exchanges as a means of deepening cooperative relations between Taiwan and the U.S.
Last month, he said, "the Trump Administration inherited a flawed Asia rebalance policy from the previous administration, which was right in rhetoric but ultimately came up short in meaningful action."
Speaking on why he and colleagues proposed the ARIA on April 3, Gardner said it is "a new approach that will put American interests first by reassuring our allies, deterring adversaries and securing U.S leadership in the world."
Tsai thanked Gardner and his Senate colleagues for proposing the ARIA and expressed hope that the U.S. will keep honoring its commitments to Taiwan as stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act and the U.S. "six assurances" on Taiwan's security.
She also asked Garner to forward her regards to President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
As chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, Cory has led efforts to impose broad new sanctions against North Korea.
He also envisions the Asia-Pacific as the region where two superpowers -- the U.S. and China -- will compete to determine which world order will prevail.
"This this is the region where the seeds of conflict that could most engulf the world will probably be planted. This is why I'm pursuing ARIA," he has told the Senate.
