Politics & Government

San Marino Officials Travel to Taiwan, Meet Local Government

Officials from San Marino's City Council, Police Department, Chinese School and others recently traveled to Taiwan to learn more about the country.

San Marino officials and residents traveled to Taiwan last month to learn more about the culture that represents a large portion of San Marino residents.

had the idea for the trip, booked the travel and help set the agenda.

When and San Marino City Manager Matt Ballantyne got word of the planned trip, they told the city they were interested in going to Taiwan, said .

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“When I asked them why do they want to go they said so they can know more and better and provide better services (to the Taiwanese community) and that inspired me,” said Sun, a Taiwanese native.

is currently over 50 percent Chinese, a majority of which is Taiwanese.

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“Delegates from Taiwan have visited San Marino in the past,” said Ballantyne, who referred to graduate students visiting last summer. “They want an understanding of how we function in their government and deliver service and I think we just want to reciprocate and go over there and see how they operate.”

In all, 27 people went on the trip, which was open to anyone in the community that wanted to go. A similar trip occurred about 10 years ago, said Alice Khau, Principal of the Chinese School in San Marino.

Councilman Richard Ward, Ballantyne and his wife Michelle, Schaefer and his wife Kaetchen, board member Joseph Chang, Chinese Club officials and a few San Marino residents and others traveled to Taiwan.

Delegates visited many well-known sightseeing spots including Taroko Gorge, Suhua Highway, Yilan Reef River Hot Spring, 101 Tower, and Palace Museum, according to a statement by the city.

“I think a lot of people without visiting or spending time to research the history don’t have an appreciation for how similar things are,” said Ballantyne, who compared capital city Taipei to a U.S. metropolitan city like San Francisco.

Public transit and the use of car alternatives like scooters were common, which was a notable difference between the large city and Los Angeles.

“Education is really big—it’s big for our community and the Taiwanese community so because we share that in common that’s why this is a very attractive place if they decide to reside in the US," said Ballantyne.

San Marino city officials met their Taiwanese counterparts and Ballantyne said meeting the mayor of Taipei is comparable to meeting Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

“They were very hospitable,” said Ballantyne. “I think they’re much more receptive to allowing guests or visitors in Taiwan than the U.S. is in allowing visiting here.

Khau took the trip to get better acquainted with a school that San Marino Chinese School students will visit for three weeks in the summer as part of its first study abroad program.

“I think study abroad for my kids is really good,” said Khau, who noted the positive study abroad experience her son had after high school. “They see the real world and become more interested in the Chinese.”

Khau, originally from Hong Kong, had never visited Taiwan and described the trip as “really amazing”.

“The first day I was by myself and traveled by train to Taipei city and it was [a] very pretty and clean place,” said Khau. “The people [are] really nice and polite and gentle.”

Sun, Ballantyne and the Chinese Club said that each person who went on the trip paid his or her own way and the gifts they received from the Taiwanese officials included traditional souvenirs like tea, pins and cakes.

San Marino city officials ascribe to the state’s law regarding limits on gifts received from others, said Ballantyne, who said the gifts from Taiwanese officials were “probably worth less than $10.”

“State and local officials and employees are prohibited from receiving a gift or gifts totaling more than $420 in a calendar year from certain sources … although there are exceptions (for example, gifts from family members),” according to the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

Khau said some students from Taipei could possibly visit San Marino but it is currently uncertain. Ballantyne said another trip is possible in the future but it is a matter of whether those interested have the funds.


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