WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15), a member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and China, tonight issued the following statement after participating in a historic bipartisan meeting with President Tsai Ing-Wen of Taiwan during her transit in California:

“President Tsai’s recent transit through the United States is a reminder of the long-lasting and deeply held partnership between our country and Taiwan – one that stands to serve as a bedrock for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the entire Indo-Pacific region.

I want to thank President Tsai for her time and hospitality today and for the opportunity to join in a productive bipartisan conversation about mutual security and economic interests and our shared commitment to strengthening democracy, prosperity, and freedom – not just for the American people and the people of Taiwan, but for people around the world.

President Tsai – Taiwan’s first female president – is a bold visionary and trailblazer, a renowned legal scholar, and one of East Asia’s most prominent advocates for defending human rights and LGBTQI+ issues. I am honored to have met and learned from her remarkable leadership on the world stage.

As a member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the U.S. and China, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in taking meaningful steps to deepen our critical relationship with Taiwan in a way that promotes stronger economic, people to people, and security ties.

As has been the case for decades across multiple administrations, the United States must remain a strong and resolute partner to Taiwan.”

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