TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hawaii leaders and 500 attendees — including more than 200 members of the local Taiwanese community — gathered in Honolulu to celebrate Taiwan’s National Day.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu on Oct. 6 held a reception at the Ala Moana Hotel to mark the holiday and the 32nd anniversary of Taiwan’s sister-state ties with Hawaii, per Hawaii News Now.
TECO Director-General Jerry Chang (張詩瑞) said, “I’m very proud to share with you that the bilateral ties between Taiwan and the great state of Hawaii is stronger than ever before.”
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, and state legislators lauded the longstanding links and economic exchanges with Taiwan. Key areas of cooperation highlighted included healthcare, climate change mitigation, indigenous cultural preservation, education, and energy.
Blangiardi also thanked the Taiwanese community for initiatives such as Chinatown clean-ups and the renovation of Honolulu’s Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park. Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), Chinese revolutionary and founder of the Republic of China, studied at Iolani and Punahou Schools in Hawaii, where he was introduced to Western democratic principles that shaped his future political vision.
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) made his first visit to Hawaii last November while en route to meet Pacific allies, including the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau. According to Taipei’s representative office in Honolulu, over 4,000 Taiwanese Americans live in Hawaii.
