Mayor Grebien and Mayor Diossa Attend AIT@40
RI Delegation led by Lt. Governor Dan McKee
Pawtucket – Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien and Central Falls Mayor James A. Diossa attended the American Institute in Taiwan’s event, AIT@40, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
The Mayors, as part of the RI Delegation led by Lt. Governor Dan McKee, were able to attend as they are visiting Taiwan to strengthen the current business relationships in the Blackstone Valley and between Taiwan and the State of R.I.
The TRA was signed on April 10, 1979 to “help maintain peace, security, and stability in the Western Pacific and to promote the foreign policy of the United States by authorizing the continuation of commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people of the United States and the people on Taiwan, and for other purposes.” The Act has shaped American policy toward Taiwan and U.S. strategy in Asia.
According to an AIT press release, earlier this year, AIT launched a yearlong campaign called AIT@40, which celebrates 40 years of friendship and partnership between the United States and Taiwan since the signing of the TRA. Each month, the AIT@40 campaign explores a different facet of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship with monthly themes such as Trade & Investment, Shared Values, and Education. The campaign not only recognizes past accomplishments, but also looks at ongoing and future efforts.
The US AIT Delegation is participating in a special series of events that began on April 15th with the “Strong Foundation, Bright Future” reception spearheaded by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
Other figures who attended the event include:
- Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan, Head of Delegation
- Chairwoman (Rep.) Eddie Bernice Johnson
- Representative Don Bacon
- Representative Hank Johnson
- Representative Salud Carbajal
- Amb. Jim Moriarty, Chairman, American Institute in Taiwan
- Ms. Maren Kasper, Acting President, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae)
- Jane Nishida, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
- David Meale, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- Eugene Cornelius, Senior Advisor, Small Business Administration
- Jim Heller, Director, Office of Taiwan Coordination, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- Constance Tzioumis, Director, Office of Global Partnerships, U.S. Department of State
- Kathryn Kaufman, Managing Director for Global Women’s Issues, Overseas Private Investment Corporation
- Alven Lam, Managing Director, International Markets, Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae)
- Ingrid Larson, Deputy Director, Office of Public Diplomacy, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- Dee Shorts, Partnership Advisor, Office of Global Partnerships, U.S. Department of State
- Andrew Nissen, Economic Officer, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- Amb. Ray Burghardt, Former Chairman, American Institute in Taiwan
- William Stanton, Former Director, American Institute in Taiwan
- Amb. Derek Mitchell, President, National Democratic Institute, Former Principal Deputy
- Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia Pacific Security Affairs
- Robert Wang, Former Deputy Director, American Institute in Taiwan
- Daniel Runde, Former Director of Global Development Alliances, United States Agency for International Development
- Seth Cropsey, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict
- Eric Altbach, Former Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for China Affairs
- Terry Gou, Foxconn founder and CEO
The RI Delegation will also attend a ceremony to accept the donation of six Dragon Boats from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office for Pawtucket’s Taiwan Day Festival, an event which brings thousands of people to the city of Pawtucket and the Blackstone Valley each year. Through this mission, the delegation seeks to build relationships that will help Blackstone Valley and all of Rhode Island foster future economic exchanges.