To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and mark the enduring partnership between Taiwan and the U.S., the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) and DC Running Club jointly held the Taiwan RunFest on September 7 at Anacostia Park along the Potomac River. This event also signifies that Taiwan-US relations will continue to move forward in leaps and bounds.
Ambassador Stanley Kao, Representative of TECRO, in his welcome remarks, stated that “this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA)”. He has witnessed that over the 40 years the Taiwan-US relationship has continued to thrive and grow. Taiwan and the U.S do not only have cooperation across the political and security fields, but also people-to-people ties. This is the first time for TECRO to collaborate with DC Running Club to promote the interactions and exchanges between our two peoples. As well reflected in the motto of “hand in hand, march forward together”, Ambassador Kao calls for all participants to join the fun and cheer for the enduring partnership between Taiwan and the US!
Mr. John Norris Jr., Managing Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), stated that “TRA is an enduring framework of US-Taiwan relationship”. Today, we commemorate what brings us together, the cooperation of economy, security and people-to-people ties.
The Taiwan RunFest received wide attention from the local and Taiwanese-American communities, attracting around 500 runners and their families on site. Apart from Ambassador and Mrs. Stanley Kao and TECRO staff, other notable participants included Mr. John Norris Jr., Managing Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), Commissioner Dottie Li and Administrative Director Christina Wong Poy of Maryland Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs and Ms. Elisabeth Herndler, Program Chair of D.C. Consular Corps. Taiwan’s first mascot ambassador “OhBear” rooted for the runners and was warmly welcomed by the participants of all ages. The festive mood of the event reflects the energy and enthusiasm of the people of the United States and Taiwan. Ambassador and Mrs. Stanley Kao and TECRO staff also responded enthusiastically to the on-site donation drive to assist the people affected by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act. Over the past forty years, Taiwan and the United States have continued to advance substantive cooperation in various aspects, and the Taiwan-U.S. partnership is sprinting forward to a bright future.
