Facing the ever-changing international dynamics between Taiwan and the United States, Taiwanese-owned businesses and entrepreneurs are seen as important bridges connecting Taiwan and the US. On December 13th, the Los Angeles Taiwan American Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting for the year 2025 in Rosemead, with nearly a hundred members in attendance. Apart from discussing annual affairs and financial reports, the meeting also saw the election of the 47th president and vice presidents for the year 2026, as well as the approval of amendments to the chamber’s bylaws to inject new energy into its future development.
After a vote by the members, Chien Chih-cheng was elected as the president for 2026, with Zhao Yunmei, Wang Wei-wen, and Hsu Huang-keng elected as vice presidents. Additionally, a new board of directors was selected to establish a solid foundation for the chamber’s operations in the coming year.
The newly elected president, Chien Chih-cheng, expressed his governing philosophy as “unity, innovation, and inclusiveness.” He outlined three main focuses for the future: strengthening the membership system, deepening Taiwan-US relations, and nurturing a new generation of leaders. He emphasized that the chamber will continue to strive for breakthroughs through a combination of innovation and tradition, guiding the organization towards the year 2026.
Given the fluctuating dynamics of the current Taiwan-US relationship, Chien Chih-cheng believes that under the Trump administration, issues such as tariffs and trade have continued to ferment. Taiwanese businesses in the US play an increasingly crucial role due to their corporate strength and local political and business connections. He mentioned plans to leverage the chamber’s platform to assist Taiwanese multinational companies in expanding into the US. This includes holding discussions with government officials on policy issues such as the increase in the EB-5 investment immigration threshold from $500,000 to $2.1 million, advocating for Taiwanese businesses and safeguarding their legitimate interests.
Young Kim, a Republican Korean-American congresswoman who has long been dedicated to promoting a solid relationship between the US and Taiwan, unexpectedly made an appearance at the event. She brought good news that the House of Representatives had passed the “Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act” (H.R. 540), supporting Taiwan’s participation in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and ensuring that the US Treasury will consider Taiwan in relevant international monitoring mechanisms.
Kim stated that pushing this act as a standalone bill would have faced significant limitations; however, through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), it finally progressed towards becoming law. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and responsible for Indo-Pacific and East Pacific affairs, Kim emphasized her commitment to monitoring Taiwan’s security and international participation to ensure the stable development of US-Taiwan relations and promote regional peace and security.
Current president Chen Ling-hua, in her annual report, reviewed the chamber’s achievements for the year 2025. She highlighted the fruitful outcomes of the year’s activities, including attending the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce Joint Conference in Houston in March, visiting technology companies and hosting a Taiwanese-friendly exchange dinner in April, organizing the 4th Charity Basketball Friendship Invitational Tournament in May and fundraising for charitable organizations, hosting the Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival in June which attracted thousands of participants, and attending the World Taiwanese Business Association Conference in Taiwan in September, visiting local governments in Tainan, Taichung, Chiayi, and others. The chamber has also welcomed several new permanent members this year, indicating a continuous growth in overall membership numbers.
During the meeting, amendments to the bylaws were also passed, modifying Article 25, Section 1 of Chapter 4. The eligibility for presidential candidacy was expanded from “having served as a vice president for two years in the past five years” to having served as a vice president, secretary, or treasurer, and having attended more than 60% of the board meetings in each of the two years before running for election. This move aims to broaden the talent pool and encourage more enthusiastic and capable members to participate in leadership roles.
Distinguished guests in attendance included Presidential Office national policy advisor Yang Hsin, Secretary Hsieh Chia-hao from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, Deputy Director Fang Chiung-yi from the Los Angeles Overseas Chinese Education and Cultural Service Center, as well as current and former presidents of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce Joint Conference and the North American Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce Joint Conference.