On the morning of October 25th, for the first time in 45 years since the termination of diplomatic relations between the United States and China in 1979, the flag of the Republic of China was raised at the San Jose City Hall Plaza. The flag will fly continuously for seven days over the plaza and will become an annual tradition in San Jose.
Initiated and sponsored by Peter Ortiz, Councilmember of the 5th District of San Jose, the Republic of China flag-raising ceremony at San Jose City Hall aims to express gratitude to the Chinese American Traditional Heritage Foundation for its active promotion of the restoration work of the San Jose Chinese Cultural Park.
At 11:30 am that day, the flag-raising ceremony officially commenced amidst the fervent beating of drums. Following that, a lion dance performance added a festive atmosphere, and the Air Force Big Wings Association marched in with the flag. As the solemn national anthems of both China and the United States played, the flags of both countries were raised one after another to celebrate Double Ten National Day of the Republic of China, the 79th anniversary of the Recovery of Taiwan, as well as the 137th anniversary of the birth of former President Chiang Kai-Shek.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan began by welcoming everyone in Chinese and stated that raising the flag symbolizing Taiwan and the Chinese people holds profound significance. He mentioned that the revitalization and restoration of the Chinese Cultural Park and the Overfelt Park must be credited to the support of the Taiwanese community and the contributions of artists from Tainan City and Taiwan. He emphasized that the Taiwanese community is an essential pillar of San Jose and Silicon Valley, hoping for cooperation to deepen the connection between Silicon Valley and Taiwan in innovation, freedom, and future investments.
During the ceremony, Councilmember Ortiz mentioned that the Republic of China flag-raising ceremony would become a tradition at San Jose City Hall every year, jointly organized by the City Hall, the Chinese American Traditional Heritage Foundation, and the American Taiwanese community to give the Taiwanese community proper representation at San Jose City Hall. He expressed special thanks to the Chinese American Traditional Heritage Foundation for their support and looked forward to turning Overfelt Park and its Chinese Cultural Park into the “pearl” of East San Jose, becoming the focal point of Chinese and Taiwanese cultural heritage activities.
Councilmember Ortiz also told a reporter that maintaining sensitivity towards communities, especially those potentially influenced by communism, is crucial. He believed that everyone should have the opportunity to have their flag represented at City Hall. He was delighted to show support for Taiwanese Americans today.
President Lin Da-rui of the Chinese American Traditional Heritage Foundation told a reporter that the re-raising of the Republic of China flag in San Jose after 45 years symbolized a turning point in an era, demonstrating the deeper understanding of the American people towards Taiwan. The understanding that Taiwan, as a democratic country elects its president through democratic processes, aligns with American values, affirming Taiwan’s importance internationally, especially its contributions in the field of technology, which have garnered widespread attention.
Deputy Director Zhu Yongchang of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco expressed deep appreciation for the celebration. Since the establishment of sister-city relationship between Tainan City and San Jose in 1977, almost every mayor of Tainan City has visited San Jose. The current President, Tsai Ing-Wen, also visited during her tenure as mayor in 2016. The two cities have had close exchanges in the economic, cultural, and educational fields. Taiwan and the United States are close allies in democracy, economy, and regional security. Deputy Director Zhu called on Mayor Mahan and the city council members to visit Taiwan and Tainan City to deepen the friendly relationship between the two sides.
When asked about his thoughts on the raising of the Communist China flag by the San Francisco city government on October 1st this year, Councilmember Shao Yang of Fremont told a reporter that cleanliness, public order, and polite behavior of the citizens he observed in San Jose illustrate effective city management. In contrast, the abundance of homeless individuals, trash, and even excrement in San Francisco raises concerns about public safety, leading to many large enterprises and retail stores relocating from the city. He believed these differences speak for themselves.