Congratulations from local and US politicians poured in yesterday as the US-based Hello Taiwan launched an office in Taipei.
Founded in 2010 by Taiwanese Americans, Hello Taiwan established its Taiwan Center in Flushing, New York, to promote Taiwanese values and culture in the US and other countries, chairman Ming Chiang (江明信) said in his opening address.
Since he joined the organization in 2018, Hello Taiwan, whose members include artists, academics, cultural experts and businesspeople, had organized or sponsored more than 100 events not just in the US, but also in Europe and other areas.
Photo courtesy of Hello Taiwan
Hello Taiwan has served as a bridge to give Taiwan a voice to communicate with other countries, he said.
“Our efforts have put a spotlight on Taiwan to shine on the world stage,” he said.
Establishing an office in Taiwan is a milestone, allowing Taiwanese Americans to realize their dream of putting down roots and supports new developments in Taiwan, he said.
“By setting up a new office here [Hello Taiwan] can work with Taiwan’s elected representatives and other civil organization, to enhance relations and forge closer links between Taiwan and the US,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Jie (黃捷) said in a speech at the launch.
“Hello Taiwan is a civil society group undertaking advocacy work and connecting with other countries and their governments. It assists Taiwan in reaching out and engaging with the international community,” DPP New Taipei City Councilor Evalyn Chen (陳乃瑜) said.
DPP international affairs director Lii Wen (李問) lauded Hello Taiwan’s endeavors to present Taiwan’s socio-cultural affairs to the world while also bringing the world to Taiwan.
“Through such efforts, the international community has learned about Taiwan’s perseverance and its important role, as it continues to deepen its democratic roots and human right values,” he said.
DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said that China relentlessly churned out disinformation and propaganda campaigns against Taiwan and other countries.
“Civil society groups should therefore assist in evaluating and transmitting verified information and news reports, so that Hello Taiwan can team up with other organizations to support Taiwan’s robust growth,” he said.
Many overseas Taiwanese have given a lot of help and contributed to Taiwan’s political development over the past decades, leading to the vigorous growth of Taiwan’s economy and democratic system, Taiwan Association of University Professors chairman Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said.
“Now Taiwan is at the front line of the world’s democratic alliance to defend freedom and democracy... We have the strength and experience in fighting dictatorship, and we must share these with other countries,” he added. “We can do this by combining the vitality of civil society groups to combat Chinese coercion and military intimidation.”
Taiwan has bolstered its profile on the world stage in recent years, and “now is the time to strive for more collaboration between the public sector and civil society to generate closer links and interactions between Taiwan and other countries,” Tunghai University political science professor Shen Yu-chung (沈有忠) said.
Chiang read a number of congratulatory messages from US representatives Ted Lieu (劉雲平), who was born in Taiwan, Gregory Meeks, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Mike Lawler, Randy Feenstra, Andrea Salinas, Judy Chu and Randy Feenstra.
“Hello Taiwan presents an image, communicates information, and organizes or sponsors events for people in various countries to feel the Taiwanese’ friendliness, learn about the Taiwanese culture, understand facts about Taiwan, and thereby befriend and even advocate for Taiwan,” the mission statement on the organization’s Web site says.
It cited as examples the holding of “Taiwan Day” at an MLB New York Mets home game in Citi Field, in which Taiwanese baseballers and entertainers were invited as guests.
It also organizes or sponsors events that encourage overseas Taiwanese and people of other ethnic backgrounds, across generations, to do charity work together, and to demonstrate the Taiwanese’s compassion and goodwill, it says.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
RSS