News & Events >> 2007

Kiwanis Club of Atlanta Welcomes TECO Director General

April 12, 2007

On Tuesday, April 10, 2007, Mr. R.C. Wu, Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta was invited to the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta to address a crowd of about 200 members on the success of Taiwan and its relations with China and the United States. The Kiwanis Club of Atlanta was established in 1918 and is a professional and community service organization whose members are devoted to the strengthening of international goodwill. Mr. Wu was invited by the club secretary, Mrs. Nancy Bedford and Vice President of the club, Mr. Phil Smith, who also happens to be a long-time friend of Annette Lu, Vice President of Taiwan.

Mr. Wu’s speech was entitled The Role of Taiwan in China’s Rising. Mr. Wu also used the subtitle, Taiwan, a Successful Story, which is a reference to comments by Secretary General Colin Powell on Taiwan’s unprecedented growth and achievements. The Director General engaged the Kiwanis audience with a PowerPoint presentation which outlined the politics and unique culture of Taiwan. Mr. Wu emphasized Taiwan’s role as a model for China in China’s necessary transformation into a democracy and outlined the possible threats of a “rising” communist China. The three main threats that Mr. Wu focused on were China’s reputation for squandering resources, their frustration of democratic growth in the region, and their potentially dangerous military hegemony in accordance with their double-digit military budget growth. In addition, Mr. Wu highlighted the concern that China’s increasing exports undercut the bourgeoning economies of third-world countries.

Many members stayed after the meeting’s adjournment to discuss with Mr. Wu and express their appreciation for his presentation.

吳榮泉處長應邀在亞特蘭大同濟會作國情演講

吳處長本（10）日中午應亞特蘭大同濟會（Kiwanis Club of Atlanta）之邀，赴該會以『台灣及其在中國崛起過程中之角色（Taiwan and Its Role in the Chinese Rising）』為題作國情演講。演講會開始由該會副會長Phil Smith介紹吳處長，繼由吳處長以投影片作一小時之國情演講，吳處長首先以一個崛起過程中的中國可能因十幾年來十位數字成長的軍事預算造成一個軍事強權中國；過度消耗自然資源之浪費資源的中國；為保持共產黨一黨專制而反對民主的中國；及對第三世界國家大量輸出之經濟掠奪的中國等可能情況，對世界產生威脅。繼以我國政經發展過程描述今日台灣對國際社會之積極貢獻，以我國與中國之經貿關係、地理位置及複雜之政治關係，中國崛起過程中對我國生存及發展至為重要，最後呼籲國際社會珍惜民主自由的台灣，才能對崛起中國產生正面引導及示範作用。吳處長最後以我高速公路當局不惜關閉外側車道以利紫斑蝶遷移之新聞說明國內公民社會對生態環保之重視。

Rev 2/15/08