TAIPEI (TVBS News) — In a letter published on Monday (Jan. 29) by U.S. media, Charles Liao, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston, responded to China's attempted interference in Taiwan's elections with military threats and economic bullying.
Liao maintained that despite the challenges, the people of Taiwan remain committed to their democratic way of life and refuse to bow to China's pressure.
In the wake of the election, Liao acknowledged the swift congratulations extended to elected officials Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim by the U.S. State Department, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the European Union's European External Action Service (EEAS).
Liao emphasized the resilience of Taiwan's voting population even as China applied unprecedented interference — the spread of disinformation, military intimidation, and economic threats — in an effort to disrupt Taiwan's democratic order.
Despite these attempts, Taiwanese voters continued their hard-fought pursuit of a democratic and free life.
Liao's letter came in response to a Boston Globe article by international affairs columnist Jeff Jacoby published on Jan.16, in which he wrote that it would be more fitting for U.S. President Biden to emphasize Taiwan as a "democratic partner and faithful friend of the American people."
