US Secretary of State Pompeo congratulates Taiwan on the success of its 'free and fair' local elections

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also tweeted that Taiwan's constitutional democracy is an example for the entire Indo-Pacific. PHOTO: AFP

TAIPEI - United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has congratulated Taiwan on its local government elections, calling them an example of democracy in action for the Indo-Pacific region, the Central News Agency reported on Sunday (Nov 25).

"The United States congratulates #Taiwan on another successful round of free and fair elections. Your hard-earned constitutional democracy is an example for the entire Indo-Pacific," Mr Pompeo said in a tweet last Saturday.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later retweeted Mr Pompeo's tweet.

"We thank @SecPompeo for the praise & recognition. As a beacon of freedom & democracy, #Taiwan is willing & able to share its experiences & work with like-minded countries such as the #US in advancing peace, stability & prosperity in the #IndoPacific," the foreign ministry said in response on Twitter.

Earlier last Saturday, the US State Department also sent its congratulations to Taiwan on the smooth completion of the latest local nine-in-one government elections.

"The United States congratulates the people on Taiwan for once again demonstrating the strength of their vibrant democratic system through a successful round of elections," a State Department spokesman said.

"We look forward to working with our counterparts - new and old - to continue our fruitful cooperation on a wide range of issues of mutual concern," the spokesman added.

President Tsai Ing-wen's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered a major election defeat last Saturday, losing seven of the 13 cities and counties it previously held.

The Kuomintang, meanwhile, won at least 15 seats, recovering strongly after being badly defeated in the 2014 local elections, when it was left in control of only six cities and counties.

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