The International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF) has marked its 30th anniversary this year with the launch of a Chinese-language book documenting three decades of its aid and development work. Titled “Taiwan ICDF at 30: Shaping the Future Together,” the book traces Taiwan’s foreign assistance from early agricultural teams to modern capacity building.

Speaking at the book launch in Taipei on Friday, August 14, Foreign Minister and Taiwan ICDF Chairman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said the book is a “powerful, living document” that captures how the Taiwanese nation transformed itself from an aid recipient into “a beacon of hope and a global provider of solutions.”

“As you turn these pages, you will see the concrete impact of the Taiwan Model—a people-centered approach focused on capacity building, social empowerment, and shared prosperity,” he said, citing agricultural, healthcare, and technological assistance to diplomatic allies.

Held at the Foreign Ministry’s Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, the event brought together foreign diplomats, Taiwanese officials, and representatives from medical institutions. An English-language edition of the book is scheduled to be released at the end of September.

Speakers included Taiwan ICDF Secretary General Huang Yu-Lin (黃玉霖), Saint Lucia Ambassador Robert Kennedy Lewis, Belize Ambassador Katherine Meighan, and Somaliland Representative Mahmoud Adam Jama Galaal.

Galaal told Rti in an interview at the event that the book reflects Taiwan ICDF’s approach to international development, based on mutual respect and understanding. “We work in partnership with ICDF,” Galaal said, “and partnership being the key word.”

He cited a Taiwan-funded US$22 million project to build the Taiwan Medical Center at Hargeisa Group Hospital in Somaliland’s capital as an example of recent Taiwan development cooperation. Construction of the center began last year.

“This is going to be a major asset for Somaliland and will make a significant contribution to our healthcare system,” the ambassador said.