US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that President Tsai Ing-wen’s “courage and vision in leading Taiwan’s vibrant democracy is an inspiration to the region and the world.”
That was during a congratulatory press statement Pompeo issued on Tuesday, one day before Tsai’s inauguration to a second term. Pompeo wrote that Tsai’s “re-election by a huge margin shows that she has earned the respect, admiration, and trust of the people on Taiwan.”
Pompeo also praised Taiwan’s efforts to contain COVID-19 under Tsai’s leadership. He wrote that the pandemic “provided an opportunity for the international community to see why Taiwan’s pandemic-response model is worthy of emulation.”
Meanwhile, US Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger also sent a congratulatory video in Chinese to President Tsai.
“With a population of 23 million people, Taiwan has fewer than 500 confirmed COVID-19 infections. Most cases are imported ones. For the world, Taiwan is worth learning from in many areas. The United States will continue conducting exchanges with Taiwan and will continue urging other countries and NGOs like the WHO to put saving lives before political considerations, and to choose freedom rather than government oppression," said Pottinger.