On the evening of September 18, President Tsai Ing-wen held a banquet for a delegation led by Keith Krach, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment at the presidential residence. The president welcomed and thanked Mr. Krach for leading senior officials from the US Department of State to Taiwan. This visit reflects the US government's stance in support of a democratic Taiwan and enabled Taiwan and the United States to engage in in-depth discussions about furthering their cooperative relationship.

The following is a translation of President Tsai's remarks:

I would like to extend a special thanks to Mr. Krach for his many contributions to promoting Taiwan-US relations since he assumed his position. I hope that Taiwan and the United States continue to work together to promote peace, stability, prosperity, and development in the Indo-Pacific, positively impacting the region.

I would like to thank Under Secretary Krach and the delegation to Taiwan for attending the memorial service for late President Lee Teng-hui. Former President Lee played a key role in the democratization of Taiwan. We deeply appreciate his contributions, which have allowed the people of Taiwan to enjoy values like democracy, freedom and human rights, just like in the United States.

Taiwan-US relations have made substantive progress over the past few years, with increasingly close interaction. I hope that we are able to engage on even more issues and expand our bilateral cooperation, enhancing our relationship as trusted partners and building a solid foundation for the future..

At tonight's banquet we welcome both good and longtime friends of Taiwan. Taiwan is committed to taking key steps, and engaging in exchanges of opinion to bring about a new milestone in the deepening of Taiwan-US economic cooperation. I hope that we can continue our collaboration and conversations, and launch more successful engagements, working together to advance an even friendlier, even closer Taiwan-US partnership.

Attendees from Taiwan were National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo, Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua, Executive Yuan's Minister without Portfolio John C. C. Deng, Founder of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd (TSMC) Morris Chang, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Taipei Office Director William Brent Christensen, Assistant Secretary Robert Destro (State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor), Assistant Secretary Ian Steff (Global Markets at the US Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration), Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Kelley Currie, Chairman of the Board at The Project 2049 Institute Randall Schriver (former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs), and Senior Advisor Jeffrey Horwitz from AIT Washington Headquarters.