President Han meets U.S. Delegation led by U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland Daniel Han Expresses His Hopes for Continued Cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. to strengthen various exchanges and enhance Taiwan's international visibility.
On the afternoon of August 12, President Daniel K.Y. Han of the Legislative Yuan, accompanied by Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin of the Kuomintang (KMT), Legislator Lin Yueh-chin of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Legislator Chen Gau-tzu of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), and Deputy Director Yang Fang-ling of the Department of International Affairs, welcomed a delegation of seven led by U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland.
President Han warmly greeted the visiting delegation and posed for a group photo with the attendees. He remarked that, since taking office, he has received over 20 visiting delegations, but this was his first time hosting a delegation composed entirely of female U.S. lawmakers. All three party caucuses also expressed their sincere welcome by having female legislators from the Legislative Yuan welcome the visitors.
He noted that although the Legislative Yuan is a unicameral body, it performs functions similar to both houses of the U.S. Congress. Of Taiwan’s 113 legislators, 47 are women, representing a significant proportion of 41%. In addition, 55 of the members are newly elected. He highlighted that the female legislators present each have their own areas of expertise and expressed his hope that visits like this could facilitate meaningful exchanges. President Han sincerely welcomed the U.S. representatives to Taiwan and encouraged them to experience the warmth and kindness of the Taiwanese people firsthand.
In her remarks, Representative Strickland first thanked President Han for his warm welcome, stating that this group is not just comprised of women in Congress, but also represents a step forward for diversity. She said that the main message of this trip is to signal the strength of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship and that the U.S. not only stands with Taiwan, but will continue to maintain a friendly partnership in the future in areas such as culture, defense, economy, and tourism. She added that the U.S.-Taiwan relationship is especially important because of the shared values of democracy and freedom that bind the two sides together and that these universal values are important to the business community and the world.
During the bilateral exchange, Legislator Hsu first welcomed the delegation on behalf of the KMT and hoped that the visitors would have a good impression of Taiwan. She introduced herself and mentioned that Taipei City is actually a sister city of both Dallas and Los Angeles. As a citizen of Taipei, she looked forward to further exchange and development in municipal affairs between the sister cities. She added that among the 14 counties and cities governed by the KMT, there are 8 female county magistrates and city mayors, showing that female participation in politics in this democratic society is both enthusiastic and diverse. Since she is a member of the Foreign and National Defense Committee, her position therein also demonstrates that issues related to national defense and diplomacy are not completely male-dominated fields and that women can break through gender barriers.
Legislator Lin next thanked the U.S. for its longstanding support and assistance in Taiwan's economy, defense, health care, foreign affairs, science and technology, and education. The joint collaborative efforts in these areas have enabled the people of Taiwan to choose a free and democratic way of life. She went on to say that international trade is fundamental to Taiwan's survival. She especially thanked the U.S. for supporting Taiwan's entry into the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) in 2022 and for launching the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade, which has now entered the second phase of negotiations with promising outcomes on the horizon. Legislator Lin also expressed hopes for the passage of the Taiwan-U.S. Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement as a mutually beneficial move. She also thanked the U.S. for repeatedly working with allies to publicly emphasize the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Lastly, she looks forward to learning from the U.S. child welfare system to help better protect children in Taiwan.
Legislator Chen said that since passing laws emphasizing gender equality in 2004, women and men in Taiwan have gradually gained equal status in many aspects over the past 20 years. After introducing herself, she expressed her familiarity with Taiwan's healthcare policies and that the biggest problems facing Taiwan today are declining birth rates and an aging population. Therefore, she was particularly concerned about the passing of bills regarding assisted reproductive technology and surrogate motherhood. It is her hope that the relevant laws may aid women in overcoming the challenges preventing them from motherhood and help stem the trend of declining birthrates. She went on to share that she has recently become the co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), and hopes to have the opportunity to have peaceful dialogues with China to promote global security and international peace.
The meeting saw the two sides exchange views on female empowerment, economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, Taiwan's military and defense measures, and youth civic participation. The U.S. delegates unanimously affirmed Taiwan's democratic achievements. President Han concluded by expressing three expectations: First, although the Legislative Yuan may have internal disputes, it is united in its stance on national defense and foreign affairs, and it is hoped that the U.S. will continue to exert its influence to assist Taiwan in maintaining diplomatic relations and expanding foreign relations. Second, U.S. universities are welcome to set up campuses in Taiwan so as to make the cultural and educational exchanges and cooperation between the two sides even closer. Third, exchanges between legislators from the U.S. and Taiwan can be further expanded to help increase Taiwan's visibility and make the country safer. The meeting lasted for about 80 minutes with a friendly and pleasant atmosphere and ended successfully after both sides exchanged gifts.
List of Visitors
1. Marilyn Strickland, U.S. House Representative.
2. Julia Brownley, U.S. House Representative.
3. Jasmine Crockett, U.S. House Representative.
4. Wendy Clerinx, Chief of Staff to Representative Tokuda.
5. Carina Armenta, Communications Director and Precinct Chair to Representative Brownley.
6. Betsy Dudley, Legislative Director for Representative Strickland.
7. Sofia Arias, Legislative Assistant to Representative Crockett.
President Han warmly greeted the visiting delegation and posed for a group photo with the attendees. He remarked that, since taking office, he has received over 20 visiting delegations, but this was his first time hosting a delegation composed entirely of female U.S. lawmakers. All three party caucuses also expressed their sincere welcome by having female legislators from the Legislative Yuan welcome the visitors.
He noted that although the Legislative Yuan is a unicameral body, it performs functions similar to both houses of the U.S. Congress. Of Taiwan’s 113 legislators, 47 are women, representing a significant proportion of 41%. In addition, 55 of the members are newly elected. He highlighted that the female legislators present each have their own areas of expertise and expressed his hope that visits like this could facilitate meaningful exchanges. President Han sincerely welcomed the U.S. representatives to Taiwan and encouraged them to experience the warmth and kindness of the Taiwanese people firsthand.
In her remarks, Representative Strickland first thanked President Han for his warm welcome, stating that this group is not just comprised of women in Congress, but also represents a step forward for diversity. She said that the main message of this trip is to signal the strength of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship and that the U.S. not only stands with Taiwan, but will continue to maintain a friendly partnership in the future in areas such as culture, defense, economy, and tourism. She added that the U.S.-Taiwan relationship is especially important because of the shared values of democracy and freedom that bind the two sides together and that these universal values are important to the business community and the world.
During the bilateral exchange, Legislator Hsu first welcomed the delegation on behalf of the KMT and hoped that the visitors would have a good impression of Taiwan. She introduced herself and mentioned that Taipei City is actually a sister city of both Dallas and Los Angeles. As a citizen of Taipei, she looked forward to further exchange and development in municipal affairs between the sister cities. She added that among the 14 counties and cities governed by the KMT, there are 8 female county magistrates and city mayors, showing that female participation in politics in this democratic society is both enthusiastic and diverse. Since she is a member of the Foreign and National Defense Committee, her position therein also demonstrates that issues related to national defense and diplomacy are not completely male-dominated fields and that women can break through gender barriers.
Legislator Lin next thanked the U.S. for its longstanding support and assistance in Taiwan's economy, defense, health care, foreign affairs, science and technology, and education. The joint collaborative efforts in these areas have enabled the people of Taiwan to choose a free and democratic way of life. She went on to say that international trade is fundamental to Taiwan's survival. She especially thanked the U.S. for supporting Taiwan's entry into the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) in 2022 and for launching the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade, which has now entered the second phase of negotiations with promising outcomes on the horizon. Legislator Lin also expressed hopes for the passage of the Taiwan-U.S. Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement as a mutually beneficial move. She also thanked the U.S. for repeatedly working with allies to publicly emphasize the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Lastly, she looks forward to learning from the U.S. child welfare system to help better protect children in Taiwan.
Legislator Chen said that since passing laws emphasizing gender equality in 2004, women and men in Taiwan have gradually gained equal status in many aspects over the past 20 years. After introducing herself, she expressed her familiarity with Taiwan's healthcare policies and that the biggest problems facing Taiwan today are declining birth rates and an aging population. Therefore, she was particularly concerned about the passing of bills regarding assisted reproductive technology and surrogate motherhood. It is her hope that the relevant laws may aid women in overcoming the challenges preventing them from motherhood and help stem the trend of declining birthrates. She went on to share that she has recently become the co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), and hopes to have the opportunity to have peaceful dialogues with China to promote global security and international peace.
The meeting saw the two sides exchange views on female empowerment, economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, Taiwan's military and defense measures, and youth civic participation. The U.S. delegates unanimously affirmed Taiwan's democratic achievements. President Han concluded by expressing three expectations: First, although the Legislative Yuan may have internal disputes, it is united in its stance on national defense and foreign affairs, and it is hoped that the U.S. will continue to exert its influence to assist Taiwan in maintaining diplomatic relations and expanding foreign relations. Second, U.S. universities are welcome to set up campuses in Taiwan so as to make the cultural and educational exchanges and cooperation between the two sides even closer. Third, exchanges between legislators from the U.S. and Taiwan can be further expanded to help increase Taiwan's visibility and make the country safer. The meeting lasted for about 80 minutes with a friendly and pleasant atmosphere and ended successfully after both sides exchanged gifts.
List of Visitors
1. Marilyn Strickland, U.S. House Representative.
2. Julia Brownley, U.S. House Representative.
3. Jasmine Crockett, U.S. House Representative.
4. Wendy Clerinx, Chief of Staff to Representative Tokuda.
5. Carina Armenta, Communications Director and Precinct Chair to Representative Brownley.
6. Betsy Dudley, Legislative Director for Representative Strickland.
7. Sofia Arias, Legislative Assistant to Representative Crockett.