葉望輝臉書聲明全文
For those who could not attend this afternoon, and to correct a few typos, below is the text of my brief opening statement this afternoon.
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Statement on US-Taiwan Relations
As delivered by Stephen Yates
Chairman, Idaho Republican Party
Former Deputy National Security Advisor to Vice President Cheney
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Grand Hyatt Taipei
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Thank you for gathering this afternoon to allow me the opportunity to respond in one setting to the flood of media inquiries received in recent days. Needless to say, I am flattered to find such interest in my whereabouts and such confidence in my abilities.
A few points of clarification:
1. I am thrilled that President-Elect Trump agreed to receive President Tsai’s congratulatory phone call. Contrary to widely reported speculation, however, I was comfortably in Idaho last week, not here in Taipei, and the call itself was set up by members of the President-Elect’s transition team, not by me.
2. I have no affiliation with the President-Elect’s transition team and to date have not been offered any position in the new administration. As an active member of the Republican National Committee and a former White House official, I care a great deal about helping in any way I can to ensure the success of this transition and the incoming Trump administration. Like others with similar backgrounds, I speak with friends in the transition from time to time, in confidence, but I have no standing to speak for them publicly or privately.
3. This visit to Taiwan was planned well before the US election, in part as an opportunity to take a break from US politics and engage in low-key discussions with leaders here to better understand developments in the region. So much for a low-key visit…
4. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to meet with each of your President’s beginning with President Lee Teng-hui during my tenure at The Heritage Foundation. I met now former President Ma Ying-jeou while accompanying RNC Chairman ReincePriebus for your October 2015 Double Ten Day celebration. And I met current President Tsai Ying-wen along with other US colleagues on the day of her inauguration earlier this year. I am grateful for the friendship and courtesy these and other Taiwan leaders have extended to me over the last two decades. They are under no obligation to meet with me each visit to Taipei, and I have no confirmation of a meeting with your president this visit.
A few points of policy:
1. It is wonderful to have a President-Elect of the United States of America who is willing to speak in clear, simple, and sincere terms about his respect for democratic leaders and all people who seek good relations with the United States. He has made clear that he welcomes engagement with world leaders who seek good relations with us.
2. It is wonderful to have a national Republican Party chairman who knows your leaders, has visited Taiwan, and supported positive resolutions by our party in favor of Taiwan’s freedom and prosperity. Thanks to the delegation led by Chairman Priebus to Taiwan, we were able to secure unanimous support for an RNC resolution affirming the 1982 Six Assurances and other strong measures of support for Taiwan. I had the privilege to facilitate that language being added to our national party platform as co-chair of the 2016 Platform Subcommittee on National Security. We now will have an important ally by the side of our President-Elect as the next White House Chief of Staff.
3. It is important to remember that the people of Taiwan have long had good friends in the US conservative movement and the Republican Party. This recent call is an important step in the direction many of us have long advocated. As important as it is, it remains a small step. We should not over-analyze or over-react to the fact that your current and our future leader spoke by phone. While it is reasonable for the people of Taiwan to expect friendly relations from the incoming administration, it would not be reasonable to anticipate major changes in US policy at this point. Let’s allow the new administration to get beyond inauguration and the formation of its new policy team.
I will now be happy to take your questions.
