Remarks by Senator Edward J. Markey at AmCham Taiwan’s 2021 Hsieh Nien Fan
United States Senator from Massachusetts the Honorable Edward J. Markey made the following remarks via video at AmCham’s 53rd Hsieh Nien Fan celebration held in April 2021. In light of Senator Markey’s August 2022 visit to Taiwan, we include both the video and the transcription of his speech here for reference.
The Honorable Edward Markey
United States Senator from Massachusetts
Speaking at the Hsieh Nien Fan, AmCham Taiwan, April 21, 2021
(Remarks as Unofficially Transcribed)
It’s an honor to address you today, and I thank the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan for inviting me to speak and I send my greetings to President Tsai, Chairperson Chin, and all those who tirelessly work, day in and day out, to build an economic bridge between the United States and Taiwan. Americans’ bond with Taiwan’s vibrant democracy of 24 million people continues to grow at the center of our business engagement lies AmCham Taiwan. The connections you make are a key reason why the United States is Taiwan’s second largest trading partner and Taiwan is the United States’ tenth largest trading partner in the world.
Taiwan’s free market economy, and commitment to protect intellectual property, serves as a model in the Indo-Pacific as does the power of its free elections in the face of intense interference by the Chinese government. As the Chinese continue to move and threatened Taiwan it’s my job as Chairman of the Senate East Asia Subcommittee to focus on these issues and to focus upon all the good things that come from Taiwan in partnership with the United States, and I’m proud that the exchange of goods and people and ideas remains at the heart of our strategic partnership with Taiwan.
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the success of Taiwan’s model. It also laid bare the injustice the Taiwan is not able to participate meaningfully in international public health institutions. Your government’s incredible response to COVID-19 spared Taiwan from the worst ravages of the pandemic which tore through populations and economies around the world.
Taiwan’s economy grew last year while many others cratered. Taiwan has lost just a dozen people to COVID-19 while millions of families in other countries or tragically left with only memories of their loved ones. But Taiwan’s Public Health prowess and economic success is not measured alone by the number of casualties suffered in the growth and its GDP, it’s measured by how it rushed to the aid of other countries in their moment of need. As frontline healthcare workers in my home state of Massachusetts struggled to control the pandemic a year ago. The people of Taiwan stepped in contributing over a hundred thousand masks to the state of Massachusetts, part of the over 2 million they donated across the United States. Thank you.
Taiwan could make an even greater global contribution to end this pandemic and prevent a future one if the Chinese government ended its pressure campaign to prevent Taiwan from participation in the World Health Assembly. All countries must call upon the World Health Organization to allow for Taiwan to participate in the World Health assembly as it did through 2017.
The One China policy must not be used as a bludgeon to shut out Taipei from saving lives and economies from disease.
Even as we push back on efforts by Beijing to isolate Taiwan from the United Nations’ organizations know that we can and we will redouble our support in other ways.
I am also pleased that President Biden just announced new guidelines designed to draw the United States closer to Taiwan in keeping with the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 and other joint commitments. These new guidelines allow for greater high-level government-to-government contacts. A deepen connection between Taipei and Washington should also occur at the working levels.
We must create a cadre of professional relationships that last a generation. If we hope to provide the Indo-Pacific a free market, democratic alternative to the state-run repressive model pushed by Beijing, we need to partner.
And towards that end, I was proud to reintroduce the bipartisan and bicameral Taiwan Fellowship Act this year. The bill would send US government officials to Taiwan to learn, study and work. The Indo-Pacific is key to United States alliances and relationships, home to 60% of the world’s inhabitants. Programs like the Taiwan Fellowship Program, my bill, can lead to collaborations to tackle the climate crisis open up markets and halt the march of authoritarianism we see throughout the region and throughout the world.
To conclude, I just wish I could be with you in person to express my appreciation for Taiwan and its people and how it continues to serve as a North-Star for all those in the region to wish to enjoy peace and prosperity.
On a personal note, once again Massachusetts, my home state, thanks you and I thank you for providing life-saving aid while people during the pandemic. We are friends we’re going to maintain a friendship that partnership I just can’t thank you enough for everything you do every single day in order to advance that common set of goals thank you.
