In a rare statement addressing directly the topic of U.S.-Taiwan relations, Tsai called America an “important ally” and sought to reassure the public that her administration maintained close ties with both the Republican and Democratic parties.
She insisted that support for Taiwan was now “bipartisan” and “mainstream” in the United States, and vowed to work with whichever candidate was elected to office.
Faced with escalating military pressure from China since her election, Tsai has been bolstered by unusually strong support from the Trump administration, which has followed through on its anti-China policy by approving 10 weapons deals with Taipei since 2017.
As a result, President Trump enjoys overwhelming popular support among Taiwan’s 23 million inhabitants, especially the youth.
While Tsai and other high-level government officials have consistently maintained their neutrality on the U.S. elections, lawmakers from Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party have come under scrutiny for their seemingly overt support for the incumbent in the Oval Office.
As Taiwanese woke to find Trump’s early lead slowly diminishing amid a surge of votes for former Vice President Biden, Taiwan’s president sought to ease the country’s sense of panic.
“The United States is an important ally of Taiwan, and I know everyone is following the U.S. presidential election,” Tsai wrote on Facebook, according to a Newsweek translation.
“The government will continue to monitor the election before the results are announced,” she said. “We are closely monitoring the situation in the Taiwan Strait and remain in close contact with neighboring countries in order to jointly maintain peace and stability in the region.”
Tsai promised to maintain a stable economic environment on the island by ensuring stability of the country’s stock market.
“Taiwan has always maintained close ties with the U.S. government, both houses of Congress, the two main political parties, think tanks and civil groups,” she assured her followers.
She added: “No matter the result of the election, these interactions won’t change. We will continue to deepen relations between Taiwan and the U.S. based on this existing foundation.”
“In recent times, many favorable bills and resolutions have received bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, including [Tuesday’s] arms sale,” she noted. “Although there will be some seat changes in both houses of Congress after the election, [cross-party] support for Taiwan will not diminish.”
Tsai, who called U.S.-Taiwan relations “mutually beneficial,” said she was confident that support for Taiwan was “already a mainstream public opinion” and a “bipartisan consensus.”
“We continue to work on this foundation in order to strengthen the American public’s support for Taiwan,” she wrote.