Carol Pan, co-chairman of Metro Vancouver Overseas Taiwanese Society and a long-time enthusiastic member of the overseas community, has devoted herself to increasing Taiwan’s publicity in Canada in her many years of residence in Vancouver, Canada. In recognition of her assistance with the government’s work on overseas community affairs and unofficial diplomacy, OCAC Minister Wu Hsin-hsing presented her with a Mt. Jade Medal of Overseas Community Affairs Council on January 10.

Wu said that during his frequent visits to Vancouver in the past three and a half years, he found that Carol Pan had supported and contributed to the overseas community in all kinds of occasions while keeping a low profile. “Overseas compatriots in all parts of the world are like pearl beads scattered around by their Mother of Taiwan,” added Wu. “While every overseas compatriot is as precious as a pearl bead, every one of them is eager to shine for Taiwan.”

Besides her service for the overseas community, Carol Pan has also shown her generosity to and earned gratitude from the mainstream Canadian society. She donated over one million CAD to the BC Cancer Foundation in the name of “Taiwanese” in 2019. The names of Carol and Leigh Pan and the story of overseas Taiwanese giving back to the Canadian society therefore stay permanently on the wall of the PET/CT Room in the BC Cancer Foundation. Carol Pan said that solidarity is what makes Taiwan powerful, so overseas compatriots need to endeavor to increase Taiwan’s publicity overseas for more countries to establish relations with Taiwan. She also mentioned that overseas compatriots in Canada had invited different countries to cooperate in the staging of Taiwan cultural festivals held in Vancouver, hoping to bring Taiwan to more people in the world.