TAIPEI, (Taiwan News)-- President Tsai Ing-wen ( 蔡英文 ) met with former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and expressed the hope that the strategic partnership between Taiwan and the United States will continue to strengthen.

A statement was released by the Presidential Office after the meeting, which was not open to the media. In this,Tsai noted that Cheney has been a supporter of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) since he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979.

President Tsai said that over the past 38 years, the TRA has served as an important foundation for Taiwan's security and development as well as peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and is the best example of the strong Taiwan-U.S. relationship.

Tsai said Taiwan welcomes the arms sale package announced recently by the U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which demonstrates Washington's determination to continue to fulfill its commitment to Taiwan.She stressed that Taiwan and the United Sates have been committed to maintaining regional peace and stability and safeguarding each other's interests and values.



The president said she looked forward to more progress in Taiwan-U.S. ties with the support of Cheney and the Trump administration, including a growing strategic partnership between the two sides, especially in the areas of trade, investment, defense and people-to-people exchanges. In a Facebook post after the meeting, Tsai said she also told Cheney that Taiwan is able, and fully determined to work with the United States to maintain regional peace and stability.



Cheney served as the U.S. vice president from 2001 to 2009 in the Republican administration of President George W. Bush, and was secretary of defense from 1989 to 1993. He arrived in Taiwan last Sunday on a four-day visit and is scheduled to deliver a luncheon speech at a forum on Asia-Pacific security held by the Prospect Foundation on Tuesday.