U.S., Taiwan discuss Taiwan's participation in global groups

Washington, Jan. 10 (CNA) The American Institute in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss Taiwan's participation in international organizations, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.

In a press statement, it said the two offices convened with representatives from the State Department and Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to explore ways to expand Taiwan's meaningful participation in the United Nations (U.N.) system and in other international forums.

These include the World Health Assembly and other global public health bodies, the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as non-U.N. international, regional and multilateral groups, according to the statement.

The department said both sides exchanged views on addressing global challenges including public health, aviation safety, environmental protection and transnational crime.

U.S. representatives highlighted Taiwan's "exceptional expertise" and "valuable contributions" in those areas, according to the media note.

The meeting's participants all recognized the importance of working closely with partners who share U.S. concerns about attempts at excluding Taiwan from the international community, the note said.

The U.S. support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in international fora is in line with its One China Policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances, the note added.

The meeting was an annual bilateral working group discussion for Taiwan and the U.S., MOFA said in a news release issued on Saturday Taiwan time.

MOFA also expressed gratitude towards the United States' staunch bi-partisan support for Taiwan's international participation.