Congratulating President Ma Ying-Jeou and the Taiwanese People

Floor Speech

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate President Ma Ying-jeou on his re-election to the presidency of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and to wish him well on the auspicious occasion of his second inauguration on May 20, 2012.

I also wish to congratulate the Taiwanese people for the peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections in which they participated on January 14, 2012. The openness, fairness, and transparency with which they conducted their elections are the traditional hallmarks of a mature and democratic country.
Taiwan stands as a beacon of freedom and liberty in East Asia. As one of our closest and most trusted friends in the world, it is my most sincere hope that we never lose sight of our responsibilities to Taiwan under the Taiwanese Relations Act and, additionally, that we always look to the Six Assurances as the proper set of guidelines by which we conduct ourselves in all diplomatic matters relating to the Republic of China.

Again, I wish to express my most heartfelt congratulations to both President Ma and to the Taiwanese people.

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