WASHINGTON, DC (Sept. 20, 2022) – The East-West Center (EWC) has officially launched a new publication and website, Taiwan Matters for America/America Matters for Taiwan, on US-Taiwan connections and cooperation across the United States. This followed a special pre-release event at the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham Taiwan)’s annual Hsieh Nien Fan banquet earlier this year, where the Chamber’s Chairperson, Vincent Shih, presented copies to the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-Wen, and the Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk.

The Taiwan Matters for America/America Matters for Taiwan publication and website feature infographics, data, and analysis of economic, diplomatic, and cultural ties at the national, state, and local levels. View the launch event recording on YouTube.

Suzanne Puanani Vares-Lum, East-West Center President, remarked that “the East-West Center is honored to partner with AmCham Taiwan to present this unique publication and website that provides concrete data and facts about the over 40-year relationship between Taiwan and the United States. While Taiwan is an island roughly the size of Maryland, Taiwan competes with the world’s largest economies and is the 21^st largest economy in the world. More importantly, the people-to-people relationships developed between the two democratic nations can be seen in our schools, businesses, government, and communities, making this inaugural publication a vital addition to the Asia Matters for America series.”

A hybrid event to launch the new publication, with the support of AmCham Taiwan and the cooperation of the Taiwan Caucus, was chaired by Dr. Satu Limaye, Vice President of the East-West Center and Director of the Center's Washington and Research offices, and concluded with an in-person reception on Capitol Hill.

Remarks were offered by East-West Center President Suzanne Puanani Vares-Lum, AmCham Taiwan Senior Advisor Don Shapiro, and Taiwan Deputy Representative to the US Liang-Yu Wang. The launch included remarks from prominent US and Taiwan leaders and government officials, including co-chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus:

• Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-1)
• Sen. Jim Inhofe (OK)
• Rep. Mario Rafael Diaz-Balart (FL-25)

Additional speakers included:

• Randall Schriver, Chairman of the Board, Project 2049 Institute
• Prof. Shelley Rigger, Advisory Board, Global Taiwan Institute; and Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute
• Rupert Hammond-Chambers, President, US-Taiwan Business Council
• Dr. William Vocke, Executive Director Emeritus, Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan)
• Richard Pearson, Executive Director, Western Pacific Fellowship Project
• Russell Hsiao, Executive Director, Global Taiwan Institute

The event brought together members of Congress and their staff, US and Taiwan government officials, the private sector, and regional experts to celebrate the partnerships between the United States and Taiwan.

“As one of our top trading partners and a strong democracy in the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan matters to America,” Congressional Taiwan Caucus Co-Chair Steve Chabot said. “Our relationship has brought countless benefits to both countries, particularly in the economic and interpersonal spheres. The report that the East-West Center and AmCham Taiwan produced highlights the aspects which truly bind our people together and will help foster better understanding of this critical relationship.”

“AmCham Taiwan was honored to play a small part in bringing this compact but information-rich volume into print,” noted AmCham Taiwan President Andrew Wylegala. “Given the breadth and depth of Taiwan’s contributions to public health, democratic practice, youth education, and technological advancement in the past few years alone, Taiwan Matters for America and the companion material is a timely contribution to the re-assessment of an important US partner and global player,” he stated.

Produced by the East-West Center with funding support from AmCham Taiwan, the inaugural edition of Taiwan Matters for America/America Matters for Taiwan brings to light important facts and figures, including:

• The United States and Taiwan have enjoyed a robust unofficial relationship for over 40 years;
• Taiwan is consistently one of the top ten largest global trade partners of the United States;
• US FDI in Taiwan has doubled since 2018, amounting to $31.5 billion;
• Taiwan is the 8^th largest agricultural export market for the United States;
• US exports to Taiwan support over 200,000 US jobs;
• The Taiwan and US semiconductor industries are highly interdependent;
• There are more than 204,000 Taiwanese Americans in the United States;
• The United States is the 5^th largest source of tourists to Taiwan;
• Over 24,000 Taiwanese students study in the United States; and
• Taiwan and the United States share nearly 90 sister city and state relationships

Dr. Satu Limaye, Vice President of the East-West Center and Director of the Center's Washington and Research offices, remarked:“I am so pleased to release Taiwan Matters for America/America Matters for Taiwan in the US, and thank the Taiwan Caucus, AmCham Taiwan, and the EWC team that made this report possible. With Taiwan much in the news, we are pleased to have created an accessible platform to appreciate the range of connections and cooperation between Taiwan and the US at the national, state, and local levels. I regard this addition to the Asia Matters for America series as part of EWC’s commitment to bringing Americans and Asians together to share and develop solutions to common concerns, cooperate on a range of societal issues, and advance a shared future of security and prosperity.”

Taiwan Matters for America/America Matters for Taiwan explores the trade, investment, employment, business, diplomacy, security, education, tourism, and people-to-people connections between the United States and Taiwan at the national, state, and local levels. Part of the Asia Matters for America initiative, this publication and the AsiaMattersforAmerica.org website are resources for understanding the robust and dynamic US-Taiwan relationship. The publication can also be found on the Asia Matters for America website.​

WASHINGTON, DC (Sept. 20, 2022) – The East-West Center (EWC) has officially launched a new publication and website, Taiwan Matters for America/America Matters for Taiwan, on US-Taiwan connections and cooperation across the United States. This followed a special pre-release event at the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham Taiwan)’s annual Hsieh Nien Fan banquet earlier this year, where the Chamber’s Chairperson, Vincent Shih, presented copies to the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-Wen, and the Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk.

The Taiwan Matters for America/America Matters for Taiwan publication and website feature infographics, data, and analysis of economic, diplomatic, and cultural ties at the national, state, and local levels. View the launch event recording on YouTube.

Suzanne Puanani Vares-Lum, East-West Center President, remarked that “the East-West Center is honored to partner with AmCham Taiwan to present this unique publication and website that provides concrete data and facts about the over 40-year relationship between Taiwan and the United States. While Taiwan is an island roughly the size of Maryland, Taiwan competes with the world’s largest economies and is the 21^st largest economy in the world. More importantly, the people-to-people relationships developed between the two democratic nations can be seen in our schools, businesses, government, and communities, making this inaugural publication a vital addition to the Asia Matters for America series.”

A hybrid event to launch the new publication, with the support of AmCham Taiwan and the cooperation of the Taiwan Caucus, was chaired by Dr. Satu Limaye, Vice President of the East-West Center and Director of the Center's Washington and Research offices, and concluded with an in-person reception on Capitol Hill.

Remarks were offered by East-West Center President Suzanne Puanani Vares-Lum, AmCham Taiwan Senior Advisor Don Shapiro, and Taiwan Deputy Representative to the US Liang-Yu Wang. The launch included remarks from prominent US and Taiwan leaders and government officials, including co-chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus:

• Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-1)
• Sen. Jim Inhofe (OK)
• Rep. Mario Rafael Diaz-Balart (FL-25)

Additional speakers included:

• Randall Schriver, Chairman of the Board, Project 2049 Institute
• Prof. Shelley Rigger, Advisory Board, Global Taiwan Institute; and Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute
• Rupert Hammond-Chambers, President, US-Taiwan Business Council
• Dr. William Vocke, Executive Director Emeritus, Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan)
• Richard Pearson, Executive Director, Western Pacific Fellowship Project
• Russell Hsiao, Executive Director, Global Taiwan Institute

The event brought together members of Congress and their staff, US and Taiwan government officials, the private sector, and regional experts to celebrate the partnerships between the United States and Taiwan.

“As one of our top trading partners and a strong democracy in the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan matters to America,” Congressional Taiwan Caucus Co-Chair Steve Chabot said. “Our relationship has brought countless benefits to both countries, particularly in the economic and interpersonal spheres. The report that the East-West Center and AmCham Taiwan produced highlights the aspects which truly bind our people together and will help foster better understanding of this critical relationship.”

“AmCham Taiwan was honored to play a small part in bringing this compact but information-rich volume into print,” noted AmCham Taiwan President Andrew Wylegala. “Given the breadth and depth of Taiwan’s contributions to public health, democratic practice, youth education, and technological advancement in the past few years alone, Taiwan Matters for America and the companion material is a timely contribution to the re-assessment of an important US partner and global player,” he stated.

Produced by the East-West Center with funding support from AmCham Taiwan, the inaugural edition of Taiwan Matters for America/America Matters for Taiwan brings to light important facts and figures, including:

• The United States and Taiwan have enjoyed a robust unofficial relationship for over 40 years;
• Taiwan is consistently one of the top ten largest global trade partners of the United States;
• US FDI in Taiwan has doubled since 2018, amounting to $31.5 billion;
• Taiwan is the 8^th largest agricultural export market for the United States;
• US exports to Taiwan support over 200,000 US jobs;
• The Taiwan and US semiconductor industries are highly interdependent;
• There are more than 204,000 Taiwanese Americans in the United States;
• The United States is the 5^th largest source of tourists to Taiwan;
• Over 24,000 Taiwanese students study in the United States; and
• Taiwan and the United States share nearly 90 sister city and state relationships

Dr. Satu Limaye, Vice President of the East-West Center and Director of the Center's Washington and Research offices, remarked:“I am so pleased to release Taiwan Matters for America/America Matters for Taiwan in the US, and thank the Taiwan Caucus, AmCham Taiwan, and the EWC team that made this report possible. With Taiwan much in the news, we are pleased to have created an accessible platform to appreciate the range of connections and cooperation between Taiwan and the US at the national, state, and local levels. I regard this addition to the Asia Matters for America series as part of EWC’s commitment to bringing Americans and Asians together to share and develop solutions to common concerns, cooperate on a range of societal issues, and advance a shared future of security and prosperity.”

Taiwan Matters for America/America Matters for Taiwan explores the trade, investment, employment, business, diplomacy, security, education, tourism, and people-to-people connections between the United States and Taiwan at the national, state, and local levels. Part of the Asia Matters for America initiative, this publication and the AsiaMattersforAmerica.org website are resources for understanding the robust and dynamic US-Taiwan relationship. The publication can also be found on the Asia Matters for America website.​