October 10, 2020
（As Prepared for Delivery）
Hafa Adai!
On behalf of the Government and people of Taiwan, I would like to welcome you all to the opening ceremony of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Guam and our National Day reception. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the U.S. government and the government of Guam for their cooperation and assistance, as well as to all friends who made the reestablishment of our Guam office possible.
In particular, I would like to give my heartiest thanks to Governor Guerrero for her steadfast support for the reestablishment of our Guam office as well as her recognition of Taiwan's leadership in the global response to COVID-19.
Three years ago, I accompanied President Tsai Ing-wen on a transit stop in Guam. What I remember most is the warm hospitality of Guam's people, and I truly wish I could be there with you now.
Taiwan and Guam enjoy strong bilateral relations, especially in domains such as trade, tourism, and medical cooperation. Taiwan enterprises, such as Lih Pao Construction and Asia Cement Corporation, have long invested in Guam and laid strong foundations for future economic relations.
In addition, before the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 30,000 people from Taiwan traveled to Guam each year, making Taiwan Guam's third-largest source of tourists. And in recent years, increasing numbers of people from Guam have traveled to Taiwan for medical treatment. With the reestablishment of our Guam office, led by Director General Paul Chen, I am confident that together we will overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic, and enhance bilateral economic and people-to-people exchanges.
Since surfacing in Wuhan, China late last year, COVID-19 has spread to all corners of the globe. The disease has brought the global economy to a standstill and changed our daily lives almost forever.
In June, Taiwan donated 200,000 surgical masks to the government of Guam, for the protection of the frontline medical personnel. And I am pleased to announce that our Ministry will donate four made-in-Taiwan body temperature scanners apiece to the government and parliament of Guam, as well as Guam Memorial Hospital and Guam Regional Medical City on this auspicious occasion. I hope this small gesture demonstrates that Taiwan stands with Guam in the fight against COVID-19.
Taiwan and Guam share a unique relationship because we can trace our roots to a common Austronesian heritage. I envision our office in Guam not only further strengthening bilateral economic, trade, and cultural relations, but also leveraging the strategic location of Guam in the Western Pacific to increase multilateral exchanges within the region.
In closing, I would like to wish our Guam office the greatest success, and I encourage all of you to visit Taiwan once the pandemic subsides. Thank you!