Lai awards top honor to Michael Fonte for advancing Taiwan-U.S. ties

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has conferred one of Taiwan's highest honors for foreign nationals on Michael J. Fonte, a former head of the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) mission in the United States, for his contributions to Taiwan-U.S. relations.

Fonte received the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon at a ceremony held at the Presidential Office on Wednesday.

According to the citation, he was recognized for his key role and "exceptional contributions" to promoting Taiwan-U.S. ties.

Lai, the chairman of the ruling DPP, described Fonte as "a friend who has fought alongside the Taiwanese people" and expressed the hope that Fonte would continue mentoring younger generations and supporting Taiwan's democracy, peace and prosperity.

Lai said Fonte, a New York native, graduated from seminary in 1967 and was initially interested in serving in major cities such as Tokyo, Caracas, or Santiago, but was instead assigned to rural Taiwan, where he worked with farmers in Taichung, Changhua, and Miaoli.

Fonte spent six hours a day learning Taiwanese tones and became highly proficient, Lai said, adding that Fonte has often said Taiwan "stole his heart."

Lai credited Fonte with promoting human rights and social justice during the martial law period and later lobbying for Taiwan in the U.S. Congress through the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, helping secure U.S. support during times of diplomatic uncertainty.

Fonte recalled arriving in Taiwan in 1967 as a missionary in central Taiwan, where he witnessed repression under martial law.

He recalled later meeting Taiwanese pro-democracy activist Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) at the University of Michigan. Peng co-drafted the Declaration of Formosan Self-Salvation and was arrested for it.

Fonte also remembered the founding of Formosa Magazine, which led to the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979.

He said the subsequent decision to open the trial of eight detained activists to the public under international pressure marked a "tipping point" in Taiwan's democratic development.

Had someone told him then that Taiwan would become a democracy within two decades, Fonte said, invoking a Taiwanese idiom, he would have told them to "keep on dreaming."

Despite those challenges, Taiwan's pro-democracy activists persevered, he said.

"Dreams, they say, die hard, but in Taiwanese hearts, dreams never die," Fonte said, adding that the world should continue to support Taiwan in the face of ongoing threats from China.