Lin has broached the idea to leaders of the two nations several times, including President Reagan in 1986 when he bestowed an award on Lin for being one of America's 26 most outstanding scientists.
林同棪坦承，這座橋政治象徵意味十分濃厚，因此稱它為「和平橋」。這個構想，林同棪多次向兩國政府提出過，更曾向美國總統雷根遊說。那是在一九八六年三月，雷根總統頒獎表揚全美廿六位傑出科學家時，林同棪也是其中之一。