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On the morning of August 28, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Mário César Martins de Camargo, president-elect of Rotary International for the year 2025–2026. In remarks, President Lai mentioned that in June 2026, the Rotary International Convention will once again be held in Taiwan. He thanked the leadership of Rotary International for their support and Taiwan Rotary members for their efforts in obtaining the privilege of hosting the convention and giving Taiwan the opportunity to further engage with the world. The president noted that Rotary International’s mission is to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through global fellowship and that Taiwan also hopes to work more closely with other nations to promote democracy, peace, and prosperity around the world.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
First of all, I want to welcome our good friends from Rotary International to Taiwan. Rotary International is an important global NGO. The work Rotarians do and the efforts they have made toward improving public health, eradicating polio, providing clean water and sanitation facilities, reducing poverty, advancing women’s empowerment, and pursuing sustainable development are highly commendable.
In recent years, Taiwan has seen the rapid development of all kinds of NGOs, now numbering over 100,000. Rotary members around Taiwan proactively provide services to society and care for the disadvantaged. They comprise a positive force that I have always admired and appreciated. During the pandemic and in the wake of disasters in other countries, Taiwan Rotary members have always been generous in providing assistance and promoting international exchanges, which have increased Taiwan’s international visibility. I am grateful for all their contributions.
In June 2026, the Rotary International Convention will once again be held in Taiwan. We look forward to greeting the more than 30,000 participants from over 150 countries. I want to thank the leadership of Rotary International for their support and Taiwan Rotary members for their efforts in obtaining the privilege of hosting the convention and giving Taiwan the opportunity to further engage with the world. Rotary International’s mission is to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through global fellowship. Taiwan also hopes to work more closely with other nations to promote democracy, peace, and prosperity around the world.
It has been 100 days since I took office. Wherever I go in Taiwan, I see our people – our men and women in the military, police, and fire departments, Olympic and Paralympic athletes, medical personnel, and NGO members – working hard and contributing to society. This is the spirit of Taiwan – always facing the future with a can-do attitude.
Taiwan is a force for good in the world. But more than that, it is a reliable partner for advancing global peace and prosperity. I trust that by working in concert we will continue on the path of promoting world peace and sustainable development.
In closing, I would once again like to welcome you to Taiwan. And on behalf of the government, I want to say that we are committed to proactively providing assistance for the upcoming convention in 2026. We hope to make all of the participants feel right at home in Taiwan.
