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  Director General Louis M. Huang’s speech for t... - Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston 駐休士頓台北經濟文化辦事處 :::
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Director General Louis M. Huang’s speech for the Reception in Celebration of the 104th National Day of the Republic of China (Taiwan) at Omni Houston Hotel on October 9th, 2015

Louis M. Huang delivers a speech celebrating the 104th National Day of the ROC.
Louis M. Huang delivers a speech celebrating the 104th National Day of the ROC.

 

Distinguished guests, compatriots, and all of our dear friends, Good evening!

Thank you all for joining us on this auspicious occasion of the 104th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China.

One hundred and four years ago Dr. Sun Yat-sen founded the first democratic republic in Asia. He dreamed of a republic of the people, by the people and for the people, based on a persistent belief in the common values of liberty, equality and fraternity. For over a century, the Republic of China has strived to realize those ideals. It is the work of generations, each standing on the shoulders of the ones that came before.

As we celebrate the birth of the nation tonight, we are commemorating our many forefathers who generously sacrificed their lives for a noble cause, we are applauding their unwavering determination to say no to thousands of years of imperial reign, and, most importantly, we are reaffirming the importance of upholding the universal values of freedom, democracy, justice, the rule of law and the respect for fundamental human rights. As a responsible government, we give people a hope for their dream to come true. Yet a dream without these values can only be an empty dream, unable to withstand the test of time. Whether through the desire for economic development or democratization demanded by the people, such hollow dreams always end.

Today the Republic of China on Taiwan remains a beacon of democracy, the only full democracy in the Chinese-speaking world. This might never have been possible without the support provided by overseas Chinese worldwide since over a century ago, especially that of the Chinese-Americans, which was instrumental to the success of the revolution in China on October 10th, 1911. Their support also planted the seeds of a friendship between the United States and the Republic of China.

That friendship has never been more critical than during the turbulent years of World War II. This year, we commemorated the 70th anniversary of the ROC victory in the War of Resistance against Japan and the Retrocession of Taiwan. There were many theaters and many defining moments of World War II, but without the Republic of China’s unwavering resistance against the armies of Japan, the Allies’ final victory might not have been possible. As one of the United States’ strongest allies, the Republic of China kept an 800,000-strong, superiorly armed Japanese invasion force fully engaged in Mainland China for eight years. By refusing to surrender in the face of impossible odds, the Republic of China stopped the Japanese advance and prevented Japan and Germany from linking the Asian and European theaters.

No nation sacrificed as much or suffered as long as the Republic of China did to ensure the end of Japanese aggression in Asia. 268 ROC generals, 3.2 million military personnel and 20 million civilians from the Republic of China lost their lives during The War of Resistance against Japan. It is an undisputed fact that the war was fought and led courageously by the government of the Republic of China. This year, we awarded medals to and celebrated the proud legacy of the ROC and US veterans who served together in the China-Burma-India Theater. We remember the past with an eye towards the future. Seventy years after the most terrible conflict in human history, we must constantly renew our commitment to maintaining a peaceful world.

So, as we remember the conflicts of the past, we should look forward to the future. The animosity that once existed between the Republic of China and Japan has been replaced by a spirit of peace and cooperation. Taiwan’s fisheries agreement, signed with Japan in 2013, ended a forty-year dispute between the two sides while putting the concept that “sovereignty cannot be compromised, but resources can be shared" into practice. This year, President Ma Ying-jeou has taken positive steps to fulfill Taiwan’s obligation as a stakeholder in world peace. He proposed the South China Sea Peace Initiative. He called on all parties concerned to shelve territorial disputes in favor of jointly developing resources in the region.

Thanks to President Ma’s levelheaded diplomatic policies and efforts to improve cross-strait relations, ties between the United States and Taiwan are the closest they have been in the past 36 years. This year also marks the 36th anniversary of the passage and enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act of the United States. The act has been hailed as a stabilizing force in the Asia-Pacific region by U.S. officials and leaders. It has also allowed Taiwan to act as a vital U.S. partner in Asia. In 2014, Taiwan became the United States’ tenth largest trading partner. Ranked immediately after us are India and Saudi Arabia. U.S. officials have also welcomed Taiwan’s interest in entering the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as part of Taiwan’s efforts to join regional and global economic integrations.

After my first full year as the Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, I am proud to say that the relationship between the city of Houston and Taiwan has also never been closer. This year, EVA Airways opened a direct route between Taipei and Houston and Mayor Annise Parker subsequently visited Taiwan. This new direct link between Taipei and Houston promises to enrich tourism, cultural and educational exchanges, as well as bilateral trade and investment between Taiwan and the southern region of the United States.

TECO has also worked closely with our local partners across the region. Together, we ensured that this past year was full of events that deepened the cultural and economic connection between Taiwan and Houston. I have attended hundreds of community events since arriving in Houston last year, and the local Chinese-language media was present at almost each one of them. I want to thank those members of the media for their support of the local community. And I commend their compassion for all peoples of our society.

As an island, Taiwan is geographically small. However, it demonstrates a remarkable cultural and geographic diversity. Sixteen distinct aboriginal tribes, the Hakka people and other groups of Han Chinese descent make up the majority of the 23 million people who call Taiwan home. All of them coexist in an area about one twentieth the size of that of Texas.

While many different groups have called Taiwan home for generations, there are also newcomers arriving on our shores every day. Thousands of Taiwanese citizens have married spouses from our neighboring nations. Successfully integrating these immigrants into Taiwanese society is part of our top priority. Our new citizens came to the Republic of China to seek their own Taiwanese dream. The diversity of Taiwan is one of our greatest cultural resources. And like any resource, we believe the diversity of our cultural treasure should be nurtured and utilized for the benefit of all of our citizens.

To share this cultural treasure with the American people, in the past year my office has helped bring a full spectrum of Taiwanese cultural events to Houston. The Taiwu Children’s Choir demonstrated the unique beauty of aboriginal Taiwanese songs. A traditional Taiwanese Opera group showcased an innovative and distinctly Taiwanese version of a conventional Chinese art form. Hakka cultural performers conveyed the subtle beauty of the traditional Taiwanese lifestyle. And the Youth Ambassadors program showcased the diversity and talent of Taiwan’s brightest young people. In deed, the Republic of China has been a steadfast standard-bearer of Chinese culture by promoting Chinese culture with unique Taiwanese characteristics. These defining Taiwanese characteristics are our appreciation and respect for the diverse cultures of our various ethnic groups.

Today, we commemorate the sacrifices of the revolutionaries who had to fight to create such a democratic and diverse country. But today is also an occasion to celebrate one of history’s few democratic reforms to occur peacefully and absent bloodshed. During the 1980’s the Republic of China transitioned from a single-party to a multi-party system of government, bringing about the first-ever direct presidential election by popular vote in 1996. Like in the United States and most democratic countries, the citizens of Taiwan have many different political opinions. But the citizens of Taiwan share a unity of purpose. We are all trying to make the Republic of China on Taiwan a better, more prosperous nation through the democratic process. With the coming presidential and parliamentary elections on January 16th of next year, Taiwan will once again prove that democracy works!

On behalf of TECO, I want to thank our partners in the Greater Houston community. I look forward to continuing to work with all those present today to ensure Taiwan-US relations are even stronger in the future.

Now, allow me to offer a hearty toast along with our distinguished guests to say “Happy Birthday” to the Republic of China. Here’s to the everlasting friendship between Taiwan and the United States. And here’s to seeing all of you healthy and wealthy this time next year! Cheers!

Louis M. Huang
Director General
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston

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