For Immediate Release
Washington DC – March 23, 2023
Contact: (202) 547-3686
FAPA CELEBRATES FOUR DECADES OF ADVOCACY AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN TAIPEI WITH GRAND MAY 1st BANQUET
On May 1st, 2023, the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) will celebrate its 40th anniversary in Taipei with a grand banquet. Keynote speaker will be former U.S. National Security Adviser Ambassador John Bolton.
FAPA President Minze Chien states: “We invite all friends of Taiwan, of Taiwan Independence, and of FAPA to come and join us in this milestone four-decade anniversary. On May 1, 2023, we are hosting a dinner banquet at the Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel that we hope you will attend. Let’s show our Taiwanese and Taiwanese American prowess under the motto ‘Two Democracies Growing Ever Closer Together!’”
Dr. Chien adds: “The history of FAPA needs no retelling: In 1982, to protect the freedom and human rights of the people of Taiwan and promote Taiwan to become an internationally recognized sovereign country, FAPA’s founding fathers established the ‘Formosan Association for Public Affairs’ in the United States, seeking to promote Taiwan’s democratization from overseas, strengthen U.S.-Taiwan relations, safeguard the right of self-determination of the people of Taiwan, and consolidate Taiwan’s sovereignty and independence.”
“When FAPA was established, Taiwan was still under the authoritarian rule of the Kuomintang (KMT). Thus, the focus of FAPA’s early work was to urge the U.S. Congress and the Administration to demand that the Taiwan authorities democratize, liberalize, and protect human rights. FAPA promoted the lifting of martial law in Taiwan; the abolition of overseas blacklists; the protection of Taiwanese people’s freedom of speech, assembly, and association; the comprehensive re-election of the Legislature; and the direct election of Taiwan’s president.”
Forty years later, while Taiwan has become a model of democracy in Asia, it still faces the threat of authoritarianism from China. In recent years, China’s political and military aggression against Taiwan has increased day by day. Nonetheless, FAPA has never stopped its grassroots advocacy and Congressional diplomacy in the United States, and has continued to deepen U.S.-Taiwan relations, which are crucial to Taiwan’s survival, in order to defend Taiwan’s right to exist and have a say on the international stage.
With the joint efforts of Taiwanese Americans and those who support Taiwan, FAPA — as a key opinion leader — not only enhanced the U.S. Congress’ and the general public’s understanding of Taiwan’s strategic and economic importance, but also contributed to the formation and passage of many pieces of pro-Taiwan legislation.
For instance, in 1994, FAPA’s efforts resulted in an amendment of U.S. law allowing for Taiwanese Americans to list “Taiwan” as place of birth in their American passports. Prior to that, they had to list “China” as place of birth despite their being born in Taiwan.
In 2016, FAPA successfully pushed the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to pass concurrent resolutions, reaffirming the “Taiwan Relations Act” and the “Six Assurances” as the cornerstones of U.S.-Taiwan relations.
The “Taiwan Travel Act” passed in 2018, signed into law by President Trump, encouraging exchanges of visits between U.S. and Taiwan officials at all levels, breaking the previous restrictions on bilateral high-level exchanges.
In 2020, when China was actively isolating Taiwan internationally, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives also passed the “TAIPEI Act,” requiring the U.S. government to assist Taiwan in strengthening its relations with diplomatic allies and other friendly countries, and expanding Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
In 2022, the “Taiwan Fellowship Act,” which FAPA actively promoted, was incorporated into the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.” It subsequently passed the Congress and was signed into law by President Biden.
Dr. Chien adds: “The achievements of Taiwan’s democratization, the deepening of U.S.-Taiwan relations, and the improvement of Taiwan’s international status cannot be attributed to FAPA alone, but are the joint results of countless Taiwan Independence activists, who have sacrificed and dedicated their time and resources to their beloved Taiwan for many years.”
“But while reviewing these achievements, FAPA has indeed played an indispensable key role in the fields of promoting U.S.-Taiwan relations and safeguarding the right of self-determination of the Taiwanese people.”
Dr. Chien concludes: “Although FAPA as a non-profit organization does not have huge funds and official decision-making power, FAPA is an important driving force for the democratization of Taiwan and the shaping of the United States’ Taiwan policy. Today, FAPA has been working hard in Washington DC and across the U.S. for more than 40 years, and has become the most prestigious ‘Taiwanese-American Grassroots Advocacy Organization.’ FAPA will continue to urge the U.S. Congress to pass more pro-Taiwan bills, promote the continued deepening and normalization of U.S.-Taiwan relations, and expand Taiwan’s international recognition and participation, so as to facilitate the transformation of Taiwan into a ‘normal’ independent sovereign country.”
“Indeed: we at FAPA are proud of having played a critical role in ‘Two Democracies Growing Ever Closer Together!’”
Banquet details to be found here (in English and Hanji): https://fapa.org/fapa-40-th-anniversary-banquet-in-taipei/
FAPA將於台北舉行盛大晚宴，慶祝四十週年與倡議成就
2023年5月1日，台灣人公共事務會（FAPA）將在台北舉行盛大宴會，慶祝成立四十週年。主講嘉賓將是美國前國家安全顧問波頓（John Bolton）大使。
FAPA總會長簡明子表示：「我們邀請所有挺台、台獨、及FAPA的朋友們，共同來慶祝這個具有里程碑意義的FAPA四十週年。2023年5月1日，我們將在台北喜來登大飯店舉辦晚宴，希望您能參加。 讓我們在『台美民主同盟深化與鞏固』的宴會標語下，展示我們台灣人和台美人的活力與熱情！」
簡會長表示：「FAPA的歷史無需贅述。1982年，一群台獨民主前輩為了保障台灣人民的自由與人權，促使台灣成為國際承認的主權國家， 在美國成立了『台灣人公共事務會』（FAPA），力圖從海外推動台灣民主化、促進台美關係、維護台灣人民自決權、並鞏固台灣主權獨立。」
「FAPA成立之初，台灣依然處於國民黨威權統治時期。不令人意外地，FAPA的早期工作重點即在於敦促美國國會與政府，強力要求台灣當局進行民主化、自由化、並保障人權。舉凡當年推動台灣解除戒嚴、廢除海外黑名單、保障言論、集會、結社自由、國會全面改選與總統直選等，FAPA皆四處奔走遊說，無役不與。」
四十年後，台灣雖已成為亞洲民主典範，卻仍面臨來自中國的極權主義威脅。近年來，中國對台灣的文攻武嚇與日俱增，但FAPA 在美國的草根倡議與國會外交不曾間斷，長年持續深化對台灣生存至關重要的台美關係，以捍衛台灣在國際舞台上的存在與話語權。
在台美人與挺台人士的共同努力下，作為關鍵意見領袖的FAPA不僅增進美國國會與大眾對台灣戰略與經貿重要性的認識，更促成許多友台法案的形成與通過。
例如在1994年，FAPA成功推動美國國會通過一項修法，終於讓台美人能將其美國護照上的出生地一欄，自由地填寫為「台灣」。在此之前，儘管出生於台灣，他們仍必須將「中國」列為其出生地。
2016年，FAPA亦成功推動美國參眾兩院通過「對台六項保證決議案」，重申並確認《台灣關係法》與「六項保證」為美台關係之基石。
2018 年所通過的《台灣旅行法》，經川普總統簽署生效，鼓勵美台各級官員互訪，打破過去雙邊高層交流之限制，而這也是 FAPA 長年倡議的成果。
2020年，當中國積極在國際上孤立台灣時，美國參眾兩院也通過《台灣友邦法》（亦簡稱《台北法》），要求美國政府協助台灣加強與邦交國及盟邦之關係、並擴大台灣參與國際組織。
2022 年，FAPA近期所推動的《台灣獎學金法》，在被納入《2023財年國防授權法》後，亦順利通過美國國會，經拜登總統簽署後生效。
簡會長補充說：「台灣民主化的成就、台美關係的深化、與台灣國際地位的提升，當然不能僅歸功於 FAPA，而更是無數台獨先進與運動者長年犧牲奉獻的共同成果。」
「但回顧這些成就的同時，FAPA 也的確在促進台美關係、維護台灣人民自決權等領域，扮演並發揮著不可或缺的關鍵角色與功能。」
簡會長總結道：「身為一個非營利組織，FAPA 雖然沒有龐大的資金和官方決策權，卻是台灣民主化及美國對台政策改革的重要推手。如今，FAPA 也在華府與全美各地默默耕耘了四十多年，已成為聲譽最為卓著的『台美人草根倡議團體』，而未來也將繼續敦促美國國會通過更多挺台議案、推動台美關係持續深化與正常化、並擴大台灣國際承認與參與，以促使台灣早日成為一個『正常的』主權獨立國家。」
「的確：我們FAPA在『台美民主同盟深化與鞏固』中發揮了關鍵作用，且為此感到自豪！」
Banquet details to be found here (in English and Hanji): https://fapa.org/fapa-40-th-anniversary-banquet-in-taipei/
