Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Wu, stated that the relationship between Taiwan and the United States is steadily progressing, and he looks forward to further deepening exchanges in the upcoming year to jointly maintain regional stability and promote economic prosperity.
In a recent Facebook post, Minister Joseph Wu asked, “Have you heard of ‘Stinky Tofu Diplomacy’?”. He found the term intriguing when he heard it on the 13th, and before explaining further, he wanted to share with everyone about the annual “Garden Party” hosted by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and its Mandarin school on the eve of Christmas at the Grand Hotel in Taipei. This event not only strengthens Taiwan-US friendship but also helps alleviate homesickness for everyone involved.
During the Garden Party, students Xiao Chun and Li Wei from the Mandarin school gave a speech, expressing how their cultural experiences in Taiwan, especially trying Stinky Tofu, taught them about the balance needed in diplomatic work between hard power and soft power. Their innovative concept of “Stinky Tofu Diplomacy” received great acclaim, with the audience applauding and laughter filling the venue.
“Over the past year, Taiwan-US relations have progressed steadily, evident in both military sales as hard power and shared values such as democracy and freedom as soft power,” Minister Joseph Wu said. He hopes that in the new year, Taiwan and the US can continue to practice the principles of “Stinky Tofu Diplomacy,” deepening exchanges with a balance of soft and hard power to maintain regional stability and promote economic prosperity.
At the event, Minister Joseph Wu invited AIT Deputy Director Jeremy Cornforth and Mandarin school Principal Carolyn Clark to experience traditional Taiwanese children’s games such as puppets on strings, marble shooting, and paper cutting, as well as calligraphy writing and playing with clay figurines, all to welcome the upcoming New Year.
Minister Joseph Wu expressed his gratitude to the chairwoman of the Taiwan-US Association, Yen Hui-hsin, for her thoughtful arrangements, and also thanked Jennifer Yang, the Chief Negotiator and Political Affairs Commissioner of the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations, as well as Ambassador Ambrose Jiao and Liu Bai-chun for attending and interacting with guests. This not only fulfilled the duties of a gracious host but also allowed American guests and students in a foreign land to feel the warmth of Taiwan, creating unique Christmas memories and deepening Taiwan-US friendship.
With US President-elect Trump set to take office, rumors circulated that Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te dispatched Lin Fei-fan, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Council, Xu Sijian, and others to meet with members of Trump’s transition team in the US to establish connections with the upcoming US government. Presidential spokesperson Guo Yahuai stated on the 12th that the visit by the security team for exchange and communication was routine and declined to provide further comments.
Five sources informed Reuters that Lin Fei-fan, Xu Sijian, and their staff had recently arrived in Washington, expected to hold talks with several members of Trump’s camp this week, including members of the transition team and mid-level Republicans in the new administration. However, high-ranking officials from Trump’s cabinet are not involved, as meetings between American and Taiwanese officials are highly delicate due to Beijing’s sensitivity concerning such discussions.