Today, on February 17, 2025, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Lai Ching-te, met with former US Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger and his team at the Presidential Office. President Lai expressed gratitude to the guests for their firm support for Taiwan and stated that Taiwan will continue to enhance its self-defense capabilities while also looking forward to strengthening the partnership with the United States in the future.
President Lai, in his address, expressed his delight in welcoming his good friends from Taiwan, Matthew Pottinger, Deputy National Security Advisor, and Mark Montgomery, Rear Admiral of the Navy. He mentioned their previous visit to Taiwan when they presented their jointly authored book “The Boiling Moat” in June last year. They had also visited the Presidential Office where they had engaging discussions on issues concerning Taiwan-US relations and regional affairs.
President Lai highlighted that it was a pleasure to reunite with his guests after eight months, especially noting that Ivan Kanapathy has joined the US National Security Council and the Chinese version of “The Boiling Moat” is soon to be released in Taiwan. The book offers valuable insights from American experts on US-China-Taiwan relations and provides important recommendations for Taiwan’s defense security and overall resilience, which President Lai believes will benefit Taiwanese readers greatly.
President Lai mentioned that Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery’s visit to Taiwan marks his fourth, underscoring his sustained interest in Taiwan-related matters. He expressed his anticipation for in-depth discussions with his two friends on the direction of Taiwan-US cooperation in the face of risks and challenges posed by authoritarian regimes to geopolitics and regional security. President Lai emphasized the shared belief in achieving peace through strength, reinforcing national defense capabilities, and creating a solid “Golden Moat and Iron Barricade” to exert deterrence and maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the world.
President Lai asserted that Taiwan will continue to enhance its self-defense capabilities and looks forward to further strengthening partnership with the United States in security, economic, energy, and other fields. He stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation in crucial and innovative technology sectors to build a secure and resilient “non-Red supply chain,” ensuring that Taiwan, the United States, and global democratic partners maintain their technological edge.
President Lai believed that closer Taiwan-US exchanges and cooperation not only contribute to the security development of both nations but also align with their mutual economic interests. He expressed gratitude to Matthew Pottinger and Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery for their visit, further enhancing Taiwan-US exchanges and demonstrating unwavering support for Taiwan. President Lai expressed his hope for continuous efforts to deepen Taiwan-US relations and wished the guests a successful and fulfilling trip.
In his address, Matthew Pottinger first congratulated President Lai on Taiwan’s remarkable economic performance during his over one-year tenure. He mentioned President Lai’s recent declaration to raise Taiwan’s defense budget to over 3% of GDP, a target closely resembling the US defense budget proportion, which he considered a positive start for both countries to enhance deterrence capabilities.
Pottinger highlighted President Lai’s emphasis on “achieving peace through strength,” particularly in the current rise of authoritarian and aggressive governments. He agreed that “achieving peace through strength” is the right direction for the United States and Taiwan. Quoting George Washington, the first US president, that the best way to maintain peace is to stay prepared for conflict at all times, which embodies the essence of “achieving peace through strength.” Pottinger also expressed his anticipation for exchanging views with President Lai on relevant issues.