TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s envoy to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) on Thursday (March 30) uploaded a selfie she took with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) as she arrived in New York.
On the first leg of her "Democratic Partnership for Common Prosperity Journey," Tsai arrived at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday (March 29) at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The new chair of the American Institute in Taiwan, Laura Rosenberger, and Taiwan’s envoy to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) greeted Tsai and her delegation in her aircraft.
Tsai and her entourage then drove to the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in midtown Manhattan and arrived at 4 p.m., when she was warmly welcomed by hundreds of overseas Taiwanese waiting outside her hotel. Before Tsai arrived, hundreds of Chinese protesters gathered across the street from the hotel but were pushed to the other side of the street by security staff and were countered by Taiwanese supporters who drowned them out with their cheers for Tsai.
During a session of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign and National Defense Committee on Thursday, Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) pointed out that there are media reports that the CCP mobilized the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles and New York, United Front members, gangsters, and overseas Chinese to protest Tsai's visit to the U.S. and asked whether the National Security Bureau (NSB) was aware of this. Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥), the new director general of the NSB, said that this was indeed the case and that each participant was paid US$200 to harass Taiwan's president.
At 8:37 p.m. Taipei time on Thursday, Hsiao uploaded a photo of herself and President Tsai to her Facebook page and simply wrote "Welcome to New York!" As of publication, the post has garnered 82,000 likes, 3,200 comments, and 1,300 shares.
With 416 likes, the top comment was left by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Keelung City Councilor Chang Ji-ho (張之豪), who cited the famous verse from Frank Sinatra's song "Theme from New York, New York," by writing "If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere." Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) also left a comment which read in English "Team Taiwan" and in Chinese stated "Taiwan jiayou!" (台灣加油！)
