The 2019 Commissioners' Conference of the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) was held at Taipei Grand Hotel May 14-17. The opening ceremony was held on May 15. For this event, 170 OCAC commissioners gathered under one roof to present suggestions on behalf of the overseas communities they respectively represent. President Tsai Ing-wen attended the opening ceremony and greeted the attending commissioners accompanied by OCAC Minister Wu Hsin-hsing.
President Tsai stated that the hard work and support of overseas compatriots gives Taiwan more power to develop better. This, she said, is the meaning of the conference theme this year “bringing together overseas compatriot power, creating national prosperity together.” She went on to say that the World Health Assembly (WHA) will convene next week without Taiwan’s participation. President Tsai said that not only have many countries spoken up for Taiwan with respect to this matter, overseas compatriot circles around the world have also voiced support for Taiwan continuing to move forward. She thanked overseas compatriots for telling the world that Taiwan is not afraid of being suppressed by China and will steadfastly walk out into the world.
President Tsai promised overseas compatriots that Taiwan’s overall economic stability ranks first in the world and it is fully capable of bearing any impact from the international situation. She said that the government has redoubled its efforts to encourage overseas Taiwanese companies to invest in Taiwan, build high added-value industry and promote industrial upgrading and transformation. She pointed out that so far this year, investment has exceeded NT$250 billion. Now is the time to invest in Taiwan, she said.
Minister Wu thanked overseas compatriots around the world for speaking out to the international community through personal networks, media channels and actual actions in their places of residence overseas in support of Taiwan’s participation in the WHA. The ROC on Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country and the health and well-being of its 23 million people should not be ignored, he said.
OCAC Minister Wu said that, instructed by President Tsai, the OCAC has established i-Taiwan Window service points at 16 culture centers worldwide. i-Taiwan Window provides information about employment and investment in Taiwan to young overseas compatriots. The OCAC has also set up a special area on its website to allow overseas compatriots to keep abreast of various kinds of information relating to Taiwan, to thus strengthen their links with Taiwan. He also talked about the key work of the OCAC, including setting up 70 emergency assistance associations in 33 countries worldwide, actively building a business opportunity platform, encouraging overseas Taiwanese companies to return to invest in Taiwan. He also mentioned that the Overseas Compatriot Card has put great efforts into developing specially-engaged stores, and by holding the OCAC Taiwan Youth Oversea Bridging Program, Taiwanese university students are allowed to travel overseas to gain an understanding of diplomatic work and the efforts overseas communities make on behalf of Taiwan. He also mentioned that, in response to the new media era, the OCAC has set up its Ocacnews Line@ official account to instantly provide overseas communities information on major policies, news on overseas communities and the compatriot affairs work of the OCAC.
