Taipei, July 11 :
Taiwan President Lai Ching Te has stated that his country will work with the United States and other like-minded nations to boost regional development, referring to US diplomat Raymond Greene as a old friend of Taiwan. While meeting with the career diplomat for the first time on Wednesday, President Lai made the comments.
During his initial formal meeting with Raymond Greene, the director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), President Lai Ching-te conveyed his optimism about the future of relations between Taiwan and the US. One might say that the American Institute in Taiwan serves as an American embassy in Taiwan.
As Sandra Oudkirk's three-year term came to a close on July 9, the official start of office for the professional diplomat was commemorated. The president referred to Greene as an old friend of Taiwan because he had served two terms at AIT before.
Taiwan News reported that during his visit to the Presidential Office, Greene emphasized the importance of cross-strait peace and stability for the Indo-Pacific region and the world at large, and that the US would maintain its support for Taiwan's self-defense efforts.
The self-governing island of Taiwan will resist any effort by China to change the status quo, according to Lai, as reported by Taiwan News via Radio Taiwan International (RTI).
Twenty years ago, when Lai first began working at AIT, Greene recalled that he had been invited to join in the US State Department's International Visitor Leadership Programme. Lai was a congressman at the time.
Taiwan, formally recognized as the Republic of China, has been a divisive subject in Chinese foreign policy for quite some time. Beijing views the island as a rebellious province that ought to be reunited with the mainland, even if it means resorting to force. The ongoing events in the Taiwan Strait are putting regional stability at risk, as any worsening of the situation would have far-reaching consequences for the entire Asia-Pacific region, not just for China and Taiwan.
The number of Chinese military planes and ships stationed near Taiwan has been steadily rising since September 2020, as part of China's gray zone strategy. The term gray zone refers to "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force." This happens just as China and Taiwan are experiencing their highest level of tension ever. The Chinese Communist Party has threatened to use force to seize Taiwan if needed, even though China has never ruled the island. The party views Taiwan as part of China's territory.
