On behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Deputy Representative Louis M. Huang of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) announced Taiwan’s donation of 100,000 surgical face masks to support frontline healthcare workers of the District of Columbia at TECRO’s building in Washington, DC on June 17, 2020. This donation was accepted by Ms. Kimberly A. Bassett, Secretary of the District of Columbia, on behalf of the DC government. Director Ben de Guzman of the DC Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs also attended the event.
Deputy Representative Huang stated in his remarks that “during tough times, real friends stick together.” As the world toils to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan is capable and willing to do more to contribute to the world. Since early April, Taiwan has donated near 50 million good-quality face masks to support frontline healthcare workers globally, including over 10 million masks to the United States through the federal and local governments as well.
Deputy Representative Huang stressed that TECRO’s office is located in Washington DC. We are proud to call ourselves “Washingtonian.” We sincerely hope that these masks could help the frontline healthcare workers in our greater Washington area. This donation embodies the spirit of “Taiwan can help” and indeed “Taiwan is helping.” Taiwan is proud to stand with Washington DC to combat COVID-19. Secretary Bassett was grateful for TECRO’s generous donation.
