New York, July 26 (CNA) Taiwan on Sunday donated 10,000 face masks to New York City's Chinatown in an effort to help the community combat the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
The donation was made by James Lee, Taiwan's new representative to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, to the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) based in Manhattan on behalf of the Taiwanese government.
Speaking at a donation ceremony, Lee expressed his belief that the community will be able to weather the COVID-19 storm, given that Chinatown has gone through many trials and hardships over the past 137 years but each time has come out on top and become stronger.
CCBA President Justin Yu thanked Taiwan for the generous donation, saying the relationship between the Republic of China and the ethnic Chinese community in New York can be traced back to when Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the ROC, delivered a speech at the CCBA in 1911.
"The ethnic Chinese community in New York will always remain loyal to the Republic of China, and we hope that the ROC government will continue to cherish the century-old friendship with the CCBA," Yu added.
Meanwhile, Lee said his office will provide all necessary assistance to the community to help it combat the pandemic.
Prior to being appointed head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Lee was secretary-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) from July, 2018 to July, 2020.
It is the second time he has been posted to the U.S., having previously served as deputy representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States from 2015-2018.
