On the evening of August 29th, Dr. Lei Qian (Chairwoman of the Chinese Women’s Association in the Republic of China) was invited by the American Women’s Union to speak on “Asian Choices in the 21st Century” at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City. The focus of her speech was on “Sun Yat-sen’s China Dream,” discussing the challenges facing Taiwan, the mission of the women’s association, and its transformation. Nearly two hundred people attended the event.
Dr. Lei Qian advocates for the Christian faith and has been taught to be “loyal and patriotic” since childhood. In 2017, when the women’s association faced personnel and legal troubles, she was elected Chairwoman and led the organization through frozen assets and existential crises, promoting reforms and expanding services domestically and internationally. Her international perspectives and policy commentaries have garnered attention in recent years, and she has been invited by economist Jeffrey Sachs to attend Columbia University to explore paths for cooling tensions in the Taiwan Strait through a “peaceful projection” mindset as an alternative to military confrontation.
Dr. Lei Qian’s speech focused on reflecting on the 80th anniversary of the victory in the resistance against Japan, urging to draw inspiration from history for shaping future orders. She emphasized that Taiwan’s role in the resistance should not be marginalized: “In addition to Taiwanese soldiers and women forced into military service, there were also General Lee Your-bang’s contributions in organizing the Taiwan Volunteer Corps.” She mentioned the United Nations Security Council reopening discussions on the comfort women issue and hoped for continued societal attention. When discussing societal mobilization during wartime, she cited Madame Soong Mei-ling’s establishment of the “Child Care Association for the Resistance” in the eighth month of the resistance as an example of how private organizations can form a solid chain of “aid-education-national future” during national crises.
She shared a documentary, “The Lisbon Maru Tragedy,” praising Chinese fishermen for selflessly rescuing British soldiers, showcasing the brilliance of human nature. She also mentioned the Battle of Rehe, where Chinese forces defeated the Japanese army, altering the course of the anti-fascist war but often being forgotten.
Representative Wei Dezhen, speaking on behalf of the organizers, expressed to the Epoch Times in an interview before the event that Dr. Lei Qian has long been concerned about the welfare of the vulnerable and women’s rights, hoping that she will bring her experience of integrating public welfare practices and resources into the Bay Area, fostering collaboration among community groups in project funding, volunteer training, and emergency mobilization.
The event concluded amidst enthusiastic applause and group photos. Several guests expressed their intention to continue monitoring the progress of the “Peace Game” in New York in mid-September and look forward to the women’s community becoming a key pivot for societal resilience.
The Chinese Women’s Association in the Republic of China was initiated and established by Madame Chiang Kai-shek in 1950. It has been involved in caring for the vulnerable, disaster relief, and educational charities over the years, transitioning through wartime childcare, veteran relief, military respect fellowship, and social services stages while upholding patriotic military respect and charitable intentions, continuing to connect domestically and internationally. ◇