Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu awarded April 23 the Grand Medal of Diplomacy to Edwin J. Feulner, founder of Washington-based think tank The Heritage Foundation, for his decadeslong contributions to strengthening Taiwan-U.S. relations.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Wu expressed gratitude to Feulner for his staunch support of Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and prosperity. A long-standing friend of the nation, Feulner backs a bilateral free trade agreement and regular arms sales to Taiwan, he said.
According to the minister, Feulner was instrumental in the formation and passage of the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979, the cornerstone of U.S. security commitments to Taiwan. He has worked with every U.S. president since Ronald Reagan to strengthen exchanges between the two sides, he added.
Since establishing The Heritage Foundation in 1973, Feulner has operated through the think tank to advance policy proposals favorable to Taiwan and deepen the nation’s international participation, Wu said.
Related efforts include the 2015 and 2017 Taiwan-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Security Dialogue in Taipei City—jointly arranged by The Heritage Foundation, Taipei-based Prospect Foundation and Tokyo-headquartered Sasakawa Peace Foundation—as well as inviting Taiwan to participate in this year’s Quad-Plus Dialogue with partners from Australia, India and Japan.
An influential opinion shaper in Washington political circles, Feulner served as an adviser during U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s transition and regularly meets with members of his national security team.
Feulner has traveled to Taiwan on numerous occasions, including meeting in January with President Tsai Ing-wen at the Office of the President in Taipei. He was awarded the medal at the end of a three-day visit during which he engaged in exchanges with high-level officials and private sector leaders, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (KWS-E)
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