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January 21, 2021 Taiwan's representative to the United States, Hsiao Bi-kim, attended the inauguration ceremony of the new president of the United States, Joe Biden, becoming the first representative of the island to receive a formal invitation since 1979, when Washington broke the diplomatic ties with the island to recognize the People's Republic of China.
The invitation was confirmed by the Taipei Foreign Ministry and could arouse a first reaction from China to the new US administration: Beijing opposes any contact between Washington and Taipei and which it considers the island destined for reunification.
Hsiao Bi-kim herself in a video on Facebook declares herself honored to be at the inauguration of the 46th president of the United States.
"Democracy is our common language and freedom is our common goal", says the de facto ambassador of Taipei, declaring herself ready to work with the new US administration "in advancing our mutual values and interests".
This is not the first time ever that a delegation from Taipei has attended the inauguration ceremony, notes a source cited by the Taiwan Central News Agency, but in the past, Taiwanese representatives received an invitation for the inaugural ceremony informally.