President lauds U.S. license approval for Taiwan submarine plan

Taipei, April 16 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Monday that U.S. government approval for granting marketing licenses for American firms to sell Taiwan the technology it needs to build its own submarines will not only help Taiwan defend itself but will also help maintain peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait.

Tsai made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation from members of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a Washington-based conservative think tank, according to a statement released by the Presidential Office.

Tsai noted that she visited AEI in 2011 and said she was glad to see that John Bolton, an AEI senior fellow, began his tenure as the White House National Security Advisor earlier this month.

The United States is an important and reliable partner of Taiwan, and the two countries have close cooperation relations in the areas of politics, security, economy and culture, based on their common values of democracy, Tsai said, adding that Taiwan and the U.S. should continue to deepen their strategic partnership.

She indicated that relations between Taiwan and the U.S. over the past year have been marked by several positive developments, including U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of major arms sales to Taiwan and his reaffirmation of the U.S. commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act in his National Security Strategy.

Tsai said the cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. is not only on national defense but also on the economic and trade fronts.

The two nations also share strategic interests, as the steady development of bilateral relations is an essential foundation for a free and open Indo-Pacific region, she said.

Relations between the two countries are expected to continue to improve after the Taiwan Travel Act took effect in March to bolster exchanges of visits by Taiwanese and U.S. officials at all levels, Tsai noted, adding that Taiwan will continue to keep talking with the U.S. government to achieve cooperation through reciprocity and mutual assistance.