“Over the past 30 years, Taiwan’s embrace of democratic elections has transformed it into one of the world’s most vibrant, prosperous and innovative societies,” Curtis said. “Its success stands as a powerful testament to the strength of liberty, the rule of law and the enduring promise of self-government.”“As China continues to take aggressive action toward Taipei, we must recommit to protecting Taiwan’s democratic institutions,” Kaine said. Taiwan urged Beijing to respect the ROC’s existence, stop misleading the international community and cease its provocations, Hsiao said. Only through responsible and rational discussion, based on the principles of respect and equality, with the government directly elected by Taiwanese can cross-strait relations improve, he said. “Taiwan will continue to stand in unity with the US and democratic partners to uphold a ‘democratic umbrella’ and face the challenges from authoritarianism together, safeguard our shared values and the rules-based international order,” he said.

Source: Taipei Times March 24, 2026 17:14 UTC