Source: By Central News Agency
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3384577
2018/03/17 20:27
President Tsai thanks President Trump on Twitter. (By Central News Agency)
Taipei (CNA) - President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) posted a thank you message on Twitter Saturday to U.S. President Donald Trump for signing the Taiwan Travel Act into law.
The tweet comes amid many statements of gratitude and promises of commitment from Taiwanese government officials.
Tsai's tweet goes on to say that she "looks forward to working with your administration to further the longstanding relationship between Taiwan and the United States," and ends with two flag emojis, one for each country.
Many experts have argued that the passage of the Taiwan Travel Act, which encourages visits between government officials of the two countries at all levels, is symbolic of U.S. support for Taiwan, even though it has no binding legal force.
It could potentially be a stepping stone for strengthened bilateral relations, depending on how the U.S. chooses to implement it, thereby opening the door to high-level official exchange visits that have not taken place since the two countries severed diplomatic ties in 1979, many Taiwanese officials are hoping.
It is also for this reason that Beijing has repeatedly voiced its resolute opposition to the passage of the act, describing it in a Saturday statement from the Chinese Embassy in Washington as a violation of the one-China principle that governs Sino-U.S. and Taiwan-U.S. relations.
(By Kuan-lin Liu and Yeh Su-ping)
