立法院韓國瑜院長本(1月20)日上午率我國代表團一行參加「第60屆美國總統就職典禮」，過程順利圓滿。由於美國政府考量氣候嚴寒，就職典禮前夕宣布改在國會山莊內舉行，並取消戶外近20萬座位的觀禮區，改至「第一資本體育館」（Capital One Arena)舉行。代表團一行帶著台灣人民的熱情與賀忱，頂著零下5度低溫及冷冽刺骨寒風，於清晨6時天色未亮即兵分兩路動身前往會場。
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.
儘管就職場地週邊區域大幅封閉、交通嚴格管制，韓院長仍獲高規格禮遇，在駐美代表處俞大㵢大使陪同下，與其他重要貴賓前往國會大廈(U.S. Capitol)圓形貴賓廳觀禮。而代表團其他7位立委在與數千民眾魚貫排隊近兩時後，終於以嘉賓身分進入一票難求的「第一資本體育館」包廂，透過現場轉播觀禮。這些安排均已突破歷年來我國慶賀團出席美國總統就職典觀禮的最高規格。
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.
就職典禮於同日下午2時許結束，韓院長離開國會山莊回到飯店後，立刻偕立委們向媒體分享，本次我慶賀團出席川普總統就職大典相當成功，雖然戶外觀禮區臨時宣布取消改至「第一資本體育館」，使可進場觀禮者大幅銳減至2萬人，但韓院長在俞大使陪同下，仍獲准進入國會大廈內特別安排的貴賓廳，與美國各州州長、高級將領及各國外交使節比鄰而坐，一同聆聽川普總統精彩的就職演說。他也感謝美國朋友的居間協助及駐美代表處同仁的長年深耕努力，使7位跨黨派委員也獲安排入坐「第一資本體育館」數量有限的包廂區觀禮。他續謂，台美除共享民主價值外，熱烈期盼台灣的高科技晶片產業能與美國有更多合作機會，以呼應川普總統所強調的「美國優先」的政策，他並與全體國人共勉，我們一定要自立自強，全民齊心打創中華民國更美好的未來。
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.
同日晚間，韓院長一行受邀出席由「美國退伍軍團協會」(American Legion)主辦之貴賓酒會及「向英雄致敬就職晚會」(Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball)，韓院長再獲特殊禮遇入座主桌，期間並與川普執政團隊若干重要成員自然互動交談，活動簡單隆重，氣氛輕鬆愉快，歷約兩小時結束，為此次代表團訪美第一天國會外交行程譜下完美的句點。
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.
