Denver is known for a lot of things. Its Taiwanese population is not one of them.
But about a decade ago, Taiwan moved its regional “consulate” to the Mile High City from Kansas City, Missouri. The reason was more about pragmatism than symbolism — Denver has a more robust airport — but Debby Huang, who leads the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, said it has allowed her to build deep relationships in Colorado and share her country’s story with Coloradans.
“The most important job for me is to help more Americans better understand Taiwan and what Taiwan’s challenges are in the international society,” she said.
Chief among those challenges is the threat China poses to Taiwan.
We interviewed Huang at her office in downtown Denver to learn more about her office’s work and her path into diplomacy.
A view of the Taipei skyline with the iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper, the tallest building in Taiwan, in Taipei, Taiwan on Dec. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)The following has been edited for clarity and length.
The Colorado Sun: People have probably heard about consulates before, but maybe not of an economic and cultural office. So can you explain the difference and talk about what your office’s mission is?
Debby Huang: Taiwan, Republic of China — we don’t have a formal relationship with the United States. So that’s why we call ourselves the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Denver. We have many offices in different cities. We all function like consulates. We can issue visas and Taiwanese people come to our office. They can apply for passports. We also have the privileges of other countries’ diplomats. We enjoy immunity and tax exemptions. Our license plates are special. We have diplomatic car plates.
The Sun: What attracted the Taiwanese government to Denver?
Huang: I think the reason we moved here probably has to do with Denver International Airport. We cover six states: Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. All of them can be reached nonstop from Denver. In the past three months, me and my colleagues have traveled to the other five states overseen by our office. Other than that, I think my colleagues probably visited here and saw the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.
The Sun: What are the most important issues for Taiwan in this region?
Huang: We try to enhance the relationship between Taiwan and these states. We visit with governors or lieutenant governors, or state senators and state representatives. We will talk to the chambers of commerce. We want to find out the strengths of the different states and try to connect those with Taiwan’s development. We want to connect Taiwan and the states to see what we can do together and attract more investment. We want to encourage American businessmen to invest in Taiwan, and also encourage Taiwan’s businessmen to invest in the United States as well. The most important job for me is to help more Americans better understand Taiwan and what Taiwan’s challenges are in the international society. Ten or 20 years ago, when people asked me where I’m from, I would say Taiwan and they would confuse Taiwan with Thailand. The semiconductor production we have has changed that.
The Sun: What are you trying to make sure Americans know about Taiwan?
Huang: We enjoy freedom and human rights in Taiwan. But we still only have 12 allies in the world. We cannot participate in any international organizations, like the United Nations and World Health Organization. We want to contribute. We have the most advanced medical technology, and our Taiwan national university is one of the best hospitals in the world. We know that most Americans support Taiwan. We have bipartisan support; not just in Congress, we also have bipartisan support on the state level, too.
Debby Huang, who leads the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Denver, poses for a portrait in her office on May 4, 2026, in downtown Denver, Colorado. (Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun)The Sun: In your time leading this office, what’s the biggest or the best connection you’ve made — either economically or educationally — between Taiwan and Colorado or any of the other states in your region.
Huang: In Colorado, we just signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government in January. It means that we are all trying very hard to enhance the relationship with Colorado. Last year, a delegation from a Taiwanese company visited Kansas to explore investment opportunities. I hope that we can have more Taiwanese delegations come to visit Colorado or Missouri or Kansas or my other states.
The Sun: What is the Taiwanese community like in Colorado? Is it very big?
Huang: Compared to New York, Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, the Taiwanese community here is relatively small. But we do have one community group — a Taiwanese chamber of commerce.
The Sun: You’ve been in Colorado for about a year. What’s your favorite place in the state?
Huang: The Rocky Mountains. I really like Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The Sun: How did you get into public service on behalf of your country?
Huang: Taiwan is excluded by many countries and also many international organizations. So I wanted to do my part to promote Taiwan. Every public civil servant in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we all know we have a difficult job. I hope to let more people know what challenges we have. I want to emphasize, though, that we are not just asking for help. We also are doing our part. Our president announced that we would enhance our national defense spending up to 5% in 2030 from 3% of our GDP in this year. We believe that we can have peace through strength. We encourage people in Taiwan to be ready in case someday China attacks.
Arleigh-burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd transits the Taiwan Strait during a routine transit, Aug. 27. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kaylianna Genier)The Sun: Where were you before you came to Colorado?
Huang: I was in New York from 2004 to 2010 and then I was in Taiwan for four years before going to Malaysia for five and a half years and then I went back to Taiwan again.
The Sun: If there was one thing you wanted Coloradans to know about Taiwan, what would it be?
Huang: I would encourage them to visit Taiwan. We have more than just semiconductors. I’m proud of Taiwan’s perseverance. Colorado is like seven and a half times larger than Taiwan. Colorado’s population is almost 6 million, but Taiwan has a population of 23 million. You wouldn’t forget food in Taiwan, as well.
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