Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) began a hunger strike on Sunday in support of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who has been in prison since 2008 and suffers from multiple mental and physical disorders.

Speaking at a news conference before the hunger strike began, Lu accused the government of interfering in Chen’s trial and conviction, and violating judicial due process.

Lu served under Chen, who has been in jail for more than six years while his health deteriorated.

Despite constant pressure from China to erode Taiwan’s international standing, the US has always seen the value of furthering its ties with Taiwan, a small but vibrant democracy in Asia.

In 1946, the US and Republic of China signed the Taiwan Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation to formalize cooperation between the two. And in more recent years, relations between the two have deepened substantially. In October 2012, Taiwan was included in the US’ visa waiver program, which allows Taiwanese passport holders to remain in the US for up to 90 days without a visa.