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2018年北美洲台灣商會聯合總會第30屆「華府叩門之旅」

在2018年4月11日上午九點，參與代表依據地區及專業分工，分成兩隊展開了「華府叩門之旅」，拜訪了分佈於四棟辦公樓中的參眾議員辦公室，總計進行了19場會議。
當天下午5點，在國會山莊眾議院外交事務委員會會議室舉行了酒會，歡迎多位參眾議員蒞臨與台灣商會成員會晤。活動中，賓客盈門，議員們依次上台發言，感謝台灣商會在其選區內的合作和貢獻。他們也談到了加強台美關係的重要性，並提及支持《台灣旅行法》(TTA)、持續對台軍售、支持《雙邊貿易協定》(BTA)、《避免雙重課稅協定》(ADTA)，以及協助台灣參與世界衛生組織(WHO)等議題。

4月12日上午，我們拜會了美國國務院，由經濟與商業事務局雙邊貿易事務處代理處長布萊恩·詹森（Brian Jensen）主持會議。雙方進行了熱烈的交流，深入探討了雙邊貿易關係與雙重課稅問題。會中，也就川普政府的「印太戰略」及台灣在該戰略中的角色交換了意見，並對《台美貿易暨投資架構協定》（TIFA）的進展作了詳細說明，並討論了台灣未來努力的方向。

4月13日上午10點30分，我們進入白宮園區的艾森豪行政辦公大樓，由總統副助理史蒂芬·穆尼斯特里（Stephen P. Munisteri）及美國進出口銀行資深副總裁傑西·勞（Jesse Law）接見，雙方進行了富有成效的交流。

On the morning of April 11, 2018, at 9:00 a.m., the delegation divided into two groups based on regional representation and professional expertise, embarking on the “Washington D.C. Congressional Visit.” Over the course of the day, we visited 19 offices of U.S. Senators and Representatives, spread across four main buildings.
At 5:00 p.m., a reception was held in the House Foreign Affairs Committee Room on Capitol Hill to welcome the attending members of Congress. The event was bustling with attendees, and each member of Congress who took the stage expressed their gratitude for the cooperation of the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in their respective districts. They also spoke about the importance of strengthening U.S.-Taiwan relations, including support for the Taiwan Travel Act (TTA), continued arms sales to Taiwan, and backing initiatives such as the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (ADTA), and assistance with Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization (WHO).

On the morning of April 12, we visited the U.S. Department of State, where a meeting was chaired by Brian Jensen, Acting Director of the Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs at the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Both sides engaged in enthusiastic discussions, delving into bilateral trade relations and issues surrounding double taxation. Additionally, we exchanged views on the Trump administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy and Taiwan’s role within it, while also receiving an update on the progress of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and discussing areas where Taiwan should focus its efforts.

On April 13 at 10:30 a.m., we entered the White House grounds and met at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where we were received by Stephen P. Munisteri, Deputy Assistant to the President, and Jesse Law, Senior Vice President of the U.S. Export-Import Bank. The discussions were highly productive, further strengthening the relationship between our two nations.