Statement by Hillary Clinton on Taiwan Election

I want to extend my congratulations to Ma Ying-jeou for his election as the new president of Taiwan. My congratulations extend to the people of Taiwan for their democratic achievements which have earned them the admiration of the entire international community.

The people of Taiwan began direct competitive election of the president in 1996. Since then, the presidency has changed parties twice and voter turnout in this election was impressive, a clear indication of how robust this new democracy is. The friendship between the people of Taiwan and the United States has remained deep as democracy on Taiwan has strengthened.

I hope that under President-elect Ma's capable leadership, Taiwan's political institutions will thrive, and that ways can be found to appropriately expand Taiwan's contributions to the international community.

Given the statements of Mr. Ma during the campaign and those of the leaders of the People's Republic of China, I would hope that cross-Strait dialogue will be possible, and will contribute significantly to a reduction of tensions in the Taiwan Straits and East Asia. Meanwhile, I want to reaffirm my commitment to the longstanding relevant principles of American policy, including the Three Communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act.