Deputy Secretary General of the Legislative Yuan, Chang Yu-Jung meets with Idaho-Wyoming-Alaska Tri-State Joint Leadership Delegation
On the afternoon of August 28, Chang Yu-Jung, Deputy Secretary General of the Legislative Yuan, accompanied by Kevin C.F. Lin, Director of the Department of International Affairs, met with the Idaho-Wyoming-Alaska Tri-State Joint Leadership Delegation. The delegation comprised 11 members. Eddie Yen, representative of the State of Idaho-Asia Trade Office, also attended the meeting.
Chang, representing Daniel K.Y. Han, President of Legislative Yuan, welcomed legislative leaders from Idaho, Wyoming, and Alaska. He expressed gratitude for their long-term focus on the Taiwan Strait situation and support for Taiwan. Their visit to the Legislative Yuan for direct interaction reflects the close and friendly relations between Taiwan and the United States. On behalf of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China, he extended a warm welcome to the visiting delegation.
Chang further pointed out that Idaho, Wyoming, and Alaska established sister-state relations with Taiwan in the 1980s. Over the past 40 years, there have been frequent official and non-official exchanges with substantial economic, trade, and educational interactions. The strong support from state legislators have continually deepened the Taiwan-U.S. congressional relations. Incidentally, this year marks the 45th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). The U.S. government has not only strengthened various aspects of its friendly relations with Taiwan under this law, but also taken concrete actions to fulfill its security commitments to Taiwan. To this end, he expressed his deepest gratitude to the visitors for their contributions.
Chang further highlighted that since taking office in February 2024, the 11th Legislative Yuan has hosted over 20 delegations from the U.S. Congress, including members from the House, Senate, and other governmental agencies in the past seven months. Additionally, there have been 26 delegations consisting of U.S. congressional aides, district directors, state legislatures, and university faculty and students, totaling over 400 visitors. This demonstrates the frequent interaction between U.S. and Taiwan law-making bodies. Of which, Brad Little, Idaho Governor visited Taiwan multiple times and plans to lead another delegation to Taiwan in November. Wyoming set up a "Wyoming-Asia Trade Office" in Taipei, whereas the Governor of Alaska sends annual congratulatory letters to Taiwan in conjunction with ROC’s National Day celebrations. These are all clear indicators of the increasingly close partnership between Taiwan and the U.S.
Deputy Secretary General Chang pointed out that the current Legislative Yuan consists of three caucuses and two independent legislators. Among the 113 members, 55 are newly elected, with female legislators accounting for a significant 41%, the highest percentage among parliaments in Asia. Furthermore, the Legislative Yuan USA Caucus already includes 73 bipartisan members, reflecting the strong commitment from the ruling and opposition parties in the Legislative Yuan to Taiwan-U.S. relations. It is hoped that there will be more exchanges between the parliaments and local governments of Taiwan and the United States in the future, fostering mutual understanding and deepening bilateral relations through exchanges and interactions.
Both sides then engaged in wide-ranging discussions on topics such as cross-party collaboration in the Legislative Yuan, training for newly-elected legislators, and the proportion of female legislators. The atmosphere of the meeting was cordial and pleasant. Following an exchange of gifts and a group photo, staff from the Department of International Affairs gave the delegation a tour of the legislative chamber. The visit concluded successfully after approximately 90 minutes.
List of Visitors:
Idaho:
1. Hon. Scott Bedke, Lieutenant Governor (R) of Idaho and Speaker of the Idaho House
2. Hon. Sarah Bedke, Second Lady of Idaho
3. Hon. Treg A. Bernt, Idaho State Senator (R) and Vice Chair of Idaho State Affairs Committee
4. Hon. Van T. Burtenshaw, Idaho State Senator (R) and Chair of Resources and Environment Committee
5. Hon. James Petzke, Idaho State Representative (R) and Vice Chair of Appropriations Committee
6. Hon. Britt Raybould, Idaho State Representative (R) and Vice Chair of Resources and Conservation Committee
Wyoming:
7. Hon. Ogden Driskill, President Wyoming Senate (R)
8. Hon. Dr. Tara Nethercott, Wyoming State Senator (R) and Chair of Appropriations Committee
9. Hon. Bob Nicholas, Wyoming State Representative (R) and Chair of Appropriations Committee
Alaska:
10. Hon. Bill P. Wielechowski, Alaska State Senator (D) and Chair of Rules Committee
11. Hon. Elvi Gray-Jackson, Alaska State Senator (D) and Chair of Legislative Council
Chang, representing Daniel K.Y. Han, President of Legislative Yuan, welcomed legislative leaders from Idaho, Wyoming, and Alaska. He expressed gratitude for their long-term focus on the Taiwan Strait situation and support for Taiwan. Their visit to the Legislative Yuan for direct interaction reflects the close and friendly relations between Taiwan and the United States. On behalf of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China, he extended a warm welcome to the visiting delegation.
Chang further pointed out that Idaho, Wyoming, and Alaska established sister-state relations with Taiwan in the 1980s. Over the past 40 years, there have been frequent official and non-official exchanges with substantial economic, trade, and educational interactions. The strong support from state legislators have continually deepened the Taiwan-U.S. congressional relations. Incidentally, this year marks the 45th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). The U.S. government has not only strengthened various aspects of its friendly relations with Taiwan under this law, but also taken concrete actions to fulfill its security commitments to Taiwan. To this end, he expressed his deepest gratitude to the visitors for their contributions.
Chang further highlighted that since taking office in February 2024, the 11th Legislative Yuan has hosted over 20 delegations from the U.S. Congress, including members from the House, Senate, and other governmental agencies in the past seven months. Additionally, there have been 26 delegations consisting of U.S. congressional aides, district directors, state legislatures, and university faculty and students, totaling over 400 visitors. This demonstrates the frequent interaction between U.S. and Taiwan law-making bodies. Of which, Brad Little, Idaho Governor visited Taiwan multiple times and plans to lead another delegation to Taiwan in November. Wyoming set up a "Wyoming-Asia Trade Office" in Taipei, whereas the Governor of Alaska sends annual congratulatory letters to Taiwan in conjunction with ROC’s National Day celebrations. These are all clear indicators of the increasingly close partnership between Taiwan and the U.S.
Deputy Secretary General Chang pointed out that the current Legislative Yuan consists of three caucuses and two independent legislators. Among the 113 members, 55 are newly elected, with female legislators accounting for a significant 41%, the highest percentage among parliaments in Asia. Furthermore, the Legislative Yuan USA Caucus already includes 73 bipartisan members, reflecting the strong commitment from the ruling and opposition parties in the Legislative Yuan to Taiwan-U.S. relations. It is hoped that there will be more exchanges between the parliaments and local governments of Taiwan and the United States in the future, fostering mutual understanding and deepening bilateral relations through exchanges and interactions.
Both sides then engaged in wide-ranging discussions on topics such as cross-party collaboration in the Legislative Yuan, training for newly-elected legislators, and the proportion of female legislators. The atmosphere of the meeting was cordial and pleasant. Following an exchange of gifts and a group photo, staff from the Department of International Affairs gave the delegation a tour of the legislative chamber. The visit concluded successfully after approximately 90 minutes.
List of Visitors:
Idaho:
1. Hon. Scott Bedke, Lieutenant Governor (R) of Idaho and Speaker of the Idaho House
2. Hon. Sarah Bedke, Second Lady of Idaho
3. Hon. Treg A. Bernt, Idaho State Senator (R) and Vice Chair of Idaho State Affairs Committee
4. Hon. Van T. Burtenshaw, Idaho State Senator (R) and Chair of Resources and Environment Committee
5. Hon. James Petzke, Idaho State Representative (R) and Vice Chair of Appropriations Committee
6. Hon. Britt Raybould, Idaho State Representative (R) and Vice Chair of Resources and Conservation Committee
Wyoming:
7. Hon. Ogden Driskill, President Wyoming Senate (R)
8. Hon. Dr. Tara Nethercott, Wyoming State Senator (R) and Chair of Appropriations Committee
9. Hon. Bob Nicholas, Wyoming State Representative (R) and Chair of Appropriations Committee
Alaska:
10. Hon. Bill P. Wielechowski, Alaska State Senator (D) and Chair of Rules Committee
11. Hon. Elvi Gray-Jackson, Alaska State Senator (D) and Chair of Legislative Council