Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata attended Wednesday’s historic meeting between Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, and a bipartisan delegation of Members of Congress. Notably, the meeting was the first on American soil between the President of Taiwan and a Speaker of the House.

Congresswoman Aumua Amata released the following statement:

“As a representative from the Pacific region, I was pleased to join Speaker McCarthy and other Members in his meeting with President Tsai, my fifth time to take part in meetings with her. I’m among the Members of Congress who’ve been to Taiwan, so I greatly appreciate Speaker McCarthy’s strong understanding of the importance of this friendship, and the bipartisan consensus he led in this historic meeting.

“This was a bilateral day-long conversation including topics such as keeping our supply chain strong and dependable, and cooperation between us on a host of issues. Most of all, this meeting emphasizes that we share a commitment to freedom and the principles of democracy. President Tsai is a courageous leader for her people, and Speaker McCarthy was right to stand with her in this way to express U.S. commitment to our shared ideals.

“As I said at the PICL [Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders] summit last September, we need to be wary of PRC’s intentions in the Indo-Pacific, and strengthening our relationship with Taiwan remains an important part of lasting peace in the region. This month, we celebrate the 44th anniversary of the successful Taiwan Relations Act, and I look forward to many more years of the U.S. working with our friends in Taiwan.”