Legislative Yuan President Daniel K.Y. Han leads government delegation to 60th U.S. Presidential Inauguration, achieving unprecedented participation; President Han: Congratulations to President Trump on his inauguration and looking forward to deepening Taiwan-U.S. collaboration for a better future
On the morning of January 20, Legislative Yuan President Daniel K.Y. Han led a delegation from Taiwan to attend the 60th U.S. Presidential Inauguration, which proceeded smoothly. Due to severe cold weather, the U.S. government announced on the eve of the inauguration that the ceremony would be moved indoors to the US Capitol. The outdoor seating area of nearly 200,000 seats for the inauguration celebration was also canceled, with the audience moved indoors to the Capital One Arena. Braving temperatures of minus 5 degrees Celsius and biting winds, the delegation, carrying the enthusiasm and congratulations of the Taiwanese people, set out for the venue at 6 a.m. before dawn, splitting into two groups.
Despite extensive closures and strict traffic controls around the inauguration venue, President Han received high-level courtesy and, accompanied by Ambassador Alexander Tah-Ray Yui from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, proceeded to the U.S. Capitol Rotunda to observe the ceremony alongside other distinguished guests. The remaining seven members of the delegation joined thousands of attendees, queuing for nearly two hours before entering the highly sought-after Capital One Arena as honored guests to watch the live broadcast. These arrangements surpassed previous levels of participation for Taiwan’s congratulatory delegations at U.S. presidential inaugurations.
The inauguration ceremony concluded at around 2 p.m. that afternoon. Upon returning to the hotel from the Capitol, President Han, along with the legislators, promptly shared with the media that the delegation’s participation in President Trump’s inauguration was a great success. Although the outdoor viewing area was canceled and moved to the Capital One Arena, significantly reducing the number of attendees to 20,000, President Han, accompanied by Ambassador Yui, was still granted access to a specially arranged VIP hall inside the Capitol. There, he sat alongside U.S. state governors, senior military officials, and foreign diplomats, listening to President Trump’s remarkable inaugural address. He also expressed gratitude for the assistance of friends in the U.S. and the long-term efforts of the staff at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, which enabled the seven cross-party legislators to secure limited box seats at the Capital One Arena for the ceremony. He continued by emphasizing that, in addition to their shared democratic values, Taiwan looks forward to deepening collaboration between its high-tech chip industry and the United States in alignment with President Trump’s “America First” policy. He encouraged all the Taiwanese people to be self-reliant and united in working toward a brighter future for the Republic of China.
On the evening of January 20, President Han and his delegation were invited to attend the Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball hosted by the American Legion. President Han again received special recognition, being seated at the head table, and engaged in pleasant conversations with several key members of President Trump’s administration. The event was both simple and solemn, with a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. It concluded after approximately two hours, marking a perfect end to the delegation’s first day of congressional diplomacy activities in the United States.
Despite extensive closures and strict traffic controls around the inauguration venue, President Han received high-level courtesy and, accompanied by Ambassador Alexander Tah-Ray Yui from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, proceeded to the U.S. Capitol Rotunda to observe the ceremony alongside other distinguished guests. The remaining seven members of the delegation joined thousands of attendees, queuing for nearly two hours before entering the highly sought-after Capital One Arena as honored guests to watch the live broadcast. These arrangements surpassed previous levels of participation for Taiwan’s congratulatory delegations at U.S. presidential inaugurations.
The inauguration ceremony concluded at around 2 p.m. that afternoon. Upon returning to the hotel from the Capitol, President Han, along with the legislators, promptly shared with the media that the delegation’s participation in President Trump’s inauguration was a great success. Although the outdoor viewing area was canceled and moved to the Capital One Arena, significantly reducing the number of attendees to 20,000, President Han, accompanied by Ambassador Yui, was still granted access to a specially arranged VIP hall inside the Capitol. There, he sat alongside U.S. state governors, senior military officials, and foreign diplomats, listening to President Trump’s remarkable inaugural address. He also expressed gratitude for the assistance of friends in the U.S. and the long-term efforts of the staff at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, which enabled the seven cross-party legislators to secure limited box seats at the Capital One Arena for the ceremony. He continued by emphasizing that, in addition to their shared democratic values, Taiwan looks forward to deepening collaboration between its high-tech chip industry and the United States in alignment with President Trump’s “America First” policy. He encouraged all the Taiwanese people to be self-reliant and united in working toward a brighter future for the Republic of China.
On the evening of January 20, President Han and his delegation were invited to attend the Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball hosted by the American Legion. President Han again received special recognition, being seated at the head table, and engaged in pleasant conversations with several key members of President Trump’s administration. The event was both simple and solemn, with a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. It concluded after approximately two hours, marking a perfect end to the delegation’s first day of congressional diplomacy activities in the United States.