On Monday, a group of dignitaries gathered at an opening ceremony of Tradition and Transformation: US—Taiwan Relations, 1979-2014 (傳承與蛻變：臺美關係1979-2014展), an exhibition marking 35 years of close cooperation between Taiwan and the US since the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act.
This act of the US Congress defined the non-diplomatic relations between the US and Taiwan, and established the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) gave a speech at the event and expressed his deep appreciation to the US for facilitating stability and peace, which has helped Taiwan to prosper as a democracy.
STRONG FRIENDSHIP
Photo: Tony Coolidge
In his opening speech, AIT Deputy Director Brent Christensen said the US and Taiwan have enjoyed a strong foundation of friendship that continues today.
“By displaying vintage photographs, historical documents, and other memorabilia, we hope this exhibit will demonstrate the breadth of programs and engagement that both the US and Taiwan have put into this relationship over the past 35 years,” Christensen said.
AIT Kaohsiung Branch Chief Robert DeWitt underscored the significance of the exhibit moving from Taipei to Kaohsiung.
Photo: Tony Coolidge
“[Kaohsiung] is the industrial heart of Taiwan, and it is fast becoming a cultural mecca of Taiwan as well,” DeWitt said.
He noted that National Sun Yat-sen University, which is hosting the exhibit, was the only university in Taiwan that has an “America Center.”
OPENING CEREMONY
Photo Courtesy of AIT
A tour of the modest exhibit in the olive green Chiang Kai-shek Former Residence Art Gallery (中山大學蔣公行館西灣藝廊) reveals related photographs, historical documents and memorabilia. Various panels display the many aspects of US-Taiwan relations, including commerce and trade, culture and education, defense and security and science and technology.
Also included are informative displays about a variety of important cooperative programs, including the Fulbright Taiwan (傅爾布萊特計畫) education exchange and the Megaports Initiative (大港倡議計畫), which monitors the port of Kaohsiung for unauthorized, dangerous cargo.
The largest, most impressive exhibit is dedicated to the Formosat-3 (福爾摩沙衛星三號), a climate-monitoring satellite that was built with cooperation between Taiwan and the US and deployed in 1995. The gallery houses a full-size replica of the satellite and a scale model of the delivery rocket.
Local residents and visitors to Kaohsiung are encouraged to visit the exhibit to get a glimpse of the scope of the cooperation between Taiwan and the US since 1979. It may surprise visitors how much behind-the-scenes cooperation there actually has been between the two governments, as the cooperative programs had not been widely publicized. By increasing awareness and understanding of their historic partnership with the US, Taiwanese visitors can appreciate what it has taken to maintain peace and stability.
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