The new director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Li Zhiqiang, recently arrived in New York and wasted no time in visiting the Taiwan Center in New York on July 18th, just three days after his arrival. During his visit, he met with leaders of various Taiwanese organizations in New York to congratulate the Taiwan Center on its 38th anniversary and interacted with fellow Taiwanese community members.
Li Zhiqiang, who recently took office, arrived in New York on the night of July 15th and was warmly welcomed by various Taiwanese community organizations and hundreds of overseas compatriots during his visit to the Taiwan Center on July 18th. He exchanged greetings in Taiwanese with community leaders, getting to know each other amidst a lively and joyous atmosphere.
Thursday happened to be the day before the 38th anniversary of the establishment of the Taiwan Center in New York on July 19, 1986. Li Zhiqiang first extended his best wishes to the Taiwan Center on its birthday, expressing his appreciation for the strong enthusiasm of the Taiwanese community in New York that he had felt since his arrival. He acknowledged the significance of New York as one of the most important cities in the world, with a sizable Taiwanese population ranking among the top in North America, and emphasized the importance of future work, including enhancing consular services and engagement with the Taiwanese community, while also encouraging support for the office’s activities.
Regarding Taiwan’s participation in the United Nations, Li Zhiqiang expressed his pleasure at seeing an increasing number of partners supporting Taiwan’s involvement in the UN. He emphasized that Taiwan’s exclusion from international forums is not only a loss for Taiwan but also for the world at large, as Taiwan can contribute in various fields such as technology, semiconductor industry, sustainable development, and culture. He also highlighted Taiwan’s exemplary performance in epidemic prevention over the past four years and expressed hope for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly to make even greater contributions.
Chairman Su Chunhuai of the Taiwan Center warmly welcomed Li Zhiqiang’s arrival, praising his rich diplomatic experience and expressing confidence that under his leadership, exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and the eastern United States will flourish, further strengthening unity and development within the Taiwanese community in New York, thereby achieving more diplomatic successes for Taiwan.
President Lin Qingfu of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in New York presented Li Zhiqiang with a New York Mets jersey embroidered with the words “Taiwan No. 1” on the back.
During the interactive session, overseas compatriots suggested the establishment of a location in Flushing for handling Republic of China passports. Li Zhiqiang appreciated the suggestion and committed to promoting mobile passport services for the convenience of Taiwanese compatriots seeking passport services nearby.
Having joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994, Li Zhiqiang was first assigned to Kansas in the United States in 1998. He has served as Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis, director of the Vancouver office, and held various diplomatic positions in countries such as Gambia and Liberia, and later served as deputy director and director of the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.