Taiwan's president told visiting ex-US national security adviser John Bolton on Monday that her country is willing to deepen cooperation with the U.S. and "other like-minded partners” to safeguard peace, as the self-governed island faces increasing military threats from China. President Tsai Ing-wen also expressed hopes to Bolton, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024, for more military and security exchanges and economic cooperation between the two sides, her office said in a statement. Bolton began his weeklong visit to Taiwan last Wednesday and has called for deeper interaction between the two sides' national security teams. His visit reflects the importance of the democratic island as an issue in the U.S. presidential election amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing.