The chair of the top U.S. agency in Taiwan vowed Washington's "rock solid" commitment to aiding the self-defense capacity of the democratic island during a banquet attended by Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te Wednesday near San Francisco.
Laura Rosenberger, U.S.-based head of the American Institute in Taiwan, said the self-ruled island is "a crucial partner in U.S. efforts to maintain global peace and stability, including in the Taiwan Strait," adding that preserving stability is a core tenet of her nation's long-standing cross-strait policy.
AIT, headquartered in Virginia just outside the U.S. capital, serves as Washington's de facto embassy in Taiwan and represents American interests in the territory in the absence of official diplomatic ties. The United States is one of the island's most important arms suppliers and trade partners.
Rosenberger also said the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is "committed to expanding Taiwan's partnership in international institutions where statehood is not a prerequisite (to membership) as well as its engagement with like-minded partners and allies like Paraguay."
Lai is making a stopover on the U.S. West Coast after attending Paraguay President Santiago Pena's inauguration ceremony on Tuesday.
Paraguay is Taiwan's only remaining ally in South America and one of only 13 countries with which it still maintains formal diplomatic relations. Lai stopped in New York on his way to the Paraguayan capital Asuncion.
During the banquet with Taiwan expatriates, Lai called for unified efforts to make the island a leading example of democracy. He promised to do his best to use "the beacon of peace and the compass of democracy" to chart Taiwan's path forward.
"We all have the ambition to make Taiwan the MVP of the democratic world," Lai, a strong candidate in the Taiwan presidential election next January, said.
The Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco expressed Wednesday firm opposition to Lai's stay in a statement, accusing him of using the transit as a pretext for activities in the United States that are aimed at seeking support for "Taiwan independence" and building momentum for his election campaign.
"Driven by selfish purposes, he has gone so far as to betray the interests of the Chinese nation and the general public and undermine peace and stability" in the Taiwan Strait, the consulate general said, going on to label him a "troublemaker."
China considers Taiwan its territory and opposes any official contact it has with other countries.
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