OT-1935
June 6, 2019
Remarks by AIT Director W. Brent Christensen
at TCUSA (CCNAA) Renaming Ceremony
June 6, 2019
(As Prepared for Delivery)
On behalf of AIT and the American people, I am delighted to attend this event to unveil the new name plaque for Taiwan Council for U.S. Affairs (TCUSA). This change, which better reflects the day-to-day work of TCUSA, is an opportunity to highlight the promising future we are building together.
Thank you to Honorable President Tsai, Foreign Minister Wu, Secretary-General Lee, Chairperson Lin, and the other representatives from the Taiwan leadership. Your presence marking this name change speaks volumes to the importance placed by Taiwan on continuing the strong, U.S.-Taiwan friendship.
The Taiwan Relations Act, passed April 10, 1979, ensured that while the U.S.-Taiwan relationship would be unofficial, it would not be unimportant. This remarkable legislation served as the framework for a friendship that has benefited both the people of the United States and Taiwan and people around the world. And our Taiwan partner in building this lasting friendship for the past forty years has been the Coordination Council for North American Affairs (CCNAA). We now look forward to continuing that cooperation under the new TCUSA name, which better reflects the work done each and every day by this organization to deepen and strengthen our friendship.
The U.S.-Taiwan partnership has thrived for decades, regardless of which political party is in power in Washington or Taipei. It reflects our shared interests and our shared values. Our economic and commercial relationship provides innovative technology, cultural richness, and prosperity to both of our societies. Our cooperation in promoting freedom, human rights, and rule of law demonstrates our commitment to these values both within our own democracies and internationally. Our security cooperation contributes to peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific region.
But beyond the law and the institutions, it is the people-to-people ties that truly bind us. All of us are part of the U.S.-Taiwan story, a story of friendship, of progress, of partnership and peace. I am humbled to be at the helm of AIT at this time to help carry this relationship forward, to build on this strong foundation and usher in an even brighter future.
While today marks a change in the TCUSA name, one thing that will not change is our expectation that the friendship between our peoples that we have built and fostered together over the last forty years will continue to deepen.
Thank you to TCUSA and everyone here today for each and every thing you do and have done to foster a positive and productive U.S.-Taiwan partnership.
