National 228 Memorial Museum
May 31, 2018
AIT Official Text #: OT-1809
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Vice President Chen, Secretary General Lee, Minister Wu, President Hsueh, friends, good morning!
In 1979, the U.S. Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act and established the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). In just a few days we will dedicate our new office complex in Neihu, and next year, AIT will mark its forty-year anniversary. I am delighted to be here today, the location of our previous American Cultural Center, to open this exhibition today as the beginning of these celebrations.
In this exhibition, AIT has brought together documents, artifacts, interviews, hundreds of photos, and even augmented and virtual reality features to tell the story of AIT’s role in forging U.S.-Taiwan relations over the past 40 years. It shows the breadth and depth of the exchanges and engagement that the U.S. and Taiwan have shared since 1979.
In 1979, no one could have foreseen the ways in which U.S.-Taiwan relations would flourish. There is now more cooperation than ever before in our history. I hope this exhibit gives everyone an idea of how far we have come and gives everyone optimism about future possibilities.
In my remarks, I often cite numbers that we use to measure the relationship, volume of trade, number of visitors, and this exhibition offers insights into how we have been able to accomplish these milestones. It offers a view of the constant and regular interactions with our Taiwan partners that have allowed us to accomplish so much. The exhibition shows not only how together we have built a strong foundation for the U.S.-Taiwan relationship, but also looks ahead to the strong and vibrant cooperation that will continue between our two peoples. In a few months, we hope to take this exhibition throughout Taiwan to share with more people.
Finally, on behalf of AIT, I would like to thank our partner, the National 228 Memorial Museum for providing this beautiful venue. I would also like to express gratitude to the institutions and friends who have generously loaned us photographs and artifacts or participated in interviews to document this important relationship. Finally, I want to thank Vice President Chen, Minister Wu, Secretary-General Lee, Secretary-General Wong, and many other good friends and partners for supporting today’s event. Thank you for joining us today. Please enjoy the exhibition.
