On the afternoon of March 31, President Daniel K.Y. Han (韓國瑜) of the Legislative Yuan, accompanied by Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang (江啟臣), KMT Legislator Niu Hsu-Ting, DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-Ting, and TPP Legislator Dr. Wang An-Hsiang, received a delegation including U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, John Curtis, Jacky Rosen, and Thom Tillis, among others.
President Han began by warmly welcoming the delegation. He remarked that, although Taiwan may appear small on the world map like an egg, it is full of vitality and rich in diversity. He stressed that support for national defense, diplomacy, and overseas Taiwanese communities are three shared priorities across party lines in the Legislative Yuan. Looking back at historical events, he noted that the people of Taiwan remain deeply grateful to the United States for dispatching the Seventh Fleet to patrol the Taiwan Strait during the Korean War in the 1950s under former President Harry S. Truman. In the 76 years since, he noted, the United States has continued to assist Taiwan in maintaining its defense and security.
President Han went on to say that those in education often say that “education is everything,” those in the energy sector say that “energy is everything,” and those in law enforcement say that “public safety is everything.” For legislators, however, national security is everything. He emphasized that all political parties in the Legislative Yuan fully support Taiwan’s national security needs and expressed the hope that the delegation would continue to support Taiwan after returning home.
Vice President Chiang thanked the United States for its longstanding collaborations with Taiwan in such areas as national defense and economic and trade affairs. He also recalled the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act by the U.S. Congress in 1979, which laid the foundation for the long-term development of Taiwan-U.S. cooperation across various fields. On defense-related issues, he stated that all parties would continue communicating and working toward a consensus to demonstrate Taiwan’s determination to strengthen its self-defense capabilities.
Co-head of the delegation Senator Jeanne Shaheen stated that it was a great honor to engage in in-depth discussions with cross-party legislators of the Legislative Yuan on this critically important defense issue. She emphasized that support for Taiwan has long been a bipartisan consensus in the United States. At a time of increasingly severe global challenges, she noted, strong national security and foreign policy are the cornerstones of stability, and the United States will continue to stand firmly behind Taiwan.
Co-head of the delegation Senator John Curtis thanked the Legislative Yuan in fluent Mandarin for taking the time to receive the delegation. He also recalled living in Taichung in 1979, said he was pleased to see Taiwan’s democracy thriving, and expressed his delight at returning to Taiwan and seeing old friends again.
During the exchange, Legislator Niu outlined the Legislative Yuan’s procedures for examining the national defense budget and expressed hope for substantive discussions with the delegation on issues that have recently attracted broad public attention.
Legislator Chen stated that, as convener of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, he would spare no effort to advance the examination of the special defense budget bill in order to strengthen Taiwan’s national security.
Legislator Wang reiterated the TPP’s foreign policy position, affirming its firm support for national security and extending a warm welcome to the delegation on its visit to the Legislative Yuan.
The two sides went on to exchange views on such topics as the Legislative Yuan’s bill examination procedures, inter-caucus negotiations, and the delivery schedule for military procurement. The meeting lasted approximately one hour and was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Members of the delegation also thanked President Han for specially preparing bubble tea, which gave them the opportunity to enjoy an authentic Taiwanese beverage before departing Taiwan. The meeting concluded successfully after the two sides exchanged commemorative gifts and took a group photo. (2026/03/31)
