The Chinese American Elected Officials (CAEO) held a press conference on February 7th to announce their upcoming four-day visit to Taiwan from March 10th to 13th. This will mark the first official visit to Taiwan by the organization’s members in 20 years. The purpose of this trip is to promote exchanges and cooperation between the two sides, providing American Chinese elected officials with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of Taiwan and explore potential areas of collaboration.
CAEO President Stan Lew, who is also a council member of Diamond Bar, emphasized the importance of this visit. He stated that it will not only enhance their knowledge of Taiwanese society, economy, and culture but also strengthen the ties between the US and Taiwan. Lew highlighted that this journey is not just a simple exchange trip but a foundation-laying opportunity for future cooperation.
The specific itinerary and activities for the visiting delegation are still under discussion, according to Lew. However, he revealed that the group is planning to visit local universities to engage with academia, government officials, and business leaders. Through interactions in various fields, they aim to deepen mutual understanding and explore possibilities for future cooperation.
CAEO Executive Director Peter Chang stated that the delegation comprises members from various public service sectors, including council members, school district officials, and water district commissioners. The group consists of 11 current elected officials, 2 former officials, and 1 executive member. The focus of this trip will be to understand the operational mode of Taiwanese local governments for reference and to facilitate future exchanges between Taiwanese officials and the US.
The main itinerary for the delegation includes meetings with government agencies to exchange policies and governance experiences. In addition to visiting central government agencies in Taiwan and discussing issues such as education, economy, and local autonomy with relevant department representatives, they will also visit cities like New Taipei City, Changhua, and Tainan. Members are eagerly looking forward to this trip, hoping to promote future visits and cooperation. Peter Chang, born in Taiwan, has not visited the country since 2019 and is excited about this upcoming visit. He particularly looks forward to tasting Taiwanese cuisine again and reminiscing about his hometown.
Wu Zhao-feng, President of the Los Angeles chapter of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA LA), mentioned that FAPA has been advocating at the federal level in the US for the past 42 years. In recent years, they have recognized the autonomy of state and local governments in governance. Therefore, they aim to introduce the importance and operational methods of US local governments to the Taiwanese government. This visit provides an opportunity for mutual learning and exchange, facilitating mutual understanding and cooperation between Taiwanese and American local governments.
Scarlett Kwong, Chair of the Walnut Valley Water District, expressed the significance of this visit for many members, as it is their first international exchange as elected officials, symbolizing the growing influence of American Chinese in public affairs. She believes that the participation of officials from diverse fields will promote the exchange of governance experiences, education policies, and water resource management between Taiwan and the US, fostering international cooperation.
Through this exchange, Scarlett Kwong hopes to establish closer international partnerships to promote sustainable development and improve the quality of life for voters. She looks forward to sharing successful experiences in city governance, education policies, and water resource management from various regions, initiating more dialogues and collaborations for the benefit of their communities.
The members of the CAEO visiting delegation include Diamond Bar Council Member Stan Lew, Yorba Linda Council Member Peggy Huang, former Monterey Park City Councilor Yvonne Yiu, former Mayor of Arcadia Sho Tay, Walnut Valley High School District Commissioner Chester Jeng, Diamond Bar Mayor Chia-Yu Teng, Scarlett Kwong, Chair of the Walnut Valley Water District, San Marino Vice Mayor Tony Chou, Diamond Bar Council Member Andrew Chou, Walnut Valley Water District Commissioner Theresa Lee, San Marino Vice Councilor Calvin Lo, Monterey Park City Councilor Thomas Wong, Temple City Councilor Ed Chen, accompanied by three others – interim chair of the North American Changhua County Association Charles Huang, board member of the Greater Los Angeles Taiwan Center Foundation Christopher Teng Balmaseda, and Taiwan-US Industrial Supply Chain Consultant John Lee. ◇