by
N. Peter Kramer
Chen made his remarks at the opening of the Taiwan-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Security Dialogue in Taipei. According to Chen, the country welcomes the vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region recently announced by U.S. President Donald Trump as well as the Japan-led Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as both initiatives help increase regional and international cooperation and free trade.
Chen said, as a way to cooperate with neighboring nations for mutual benefits, Taiwan is redefining its role in the region through the New Southbound Policy, which focuses on the long-term development needs of South and Southeast Asian nations, especially in terms of talent cultivation and trade.
Jointly organized by Prospect Foundation, The Heritage Foundation and Sasakawa Peace Foundation, the one-day event featured three panel discussions on strategic interests in the Asia-Pacific, energy security cooperation and prospects of nontraditional security cooperation. More than 150 academics, lawmakers and officials attended the event, including former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus as one of the keynote speakers.
