TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An anonymous senior official from the U.S. Department of State expressed hopes on Tuesday (Jan. 7) for a fair voting process in the upcoming Taiwan elections.

At a national defense discussion forum held by the U.S. think tank Hudson Institute, an anonymous senior official from the U.S. Department of State emphasized the importance of an unbiased election system, without interference from foreign powers, including the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He said the U.S. government values fair elections more than who's the winner of the election, reported UDN.

The official added the Taiwan presidential and legislative elections have been stable so far and no clear signs of major foreign infiltration had been noted. He said the U.S. government hopes a fair election on Saturday (Jan. 11) will serve as a stepping stone for Taiwan to maintain its democracy.

Also, David Helvey, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, said that he could not elaborate on the preventive measures that the U.S. might employ to ensure peace between Taiwan and China if President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is re-elected. Nevertheless, he stressed that a peaceful cross-strait climate has always been the goal of the U.S., reported CNA.