The new director of the Los Angeles Overseas Chinese Cultural and Educational Service Center, Zhong Peizhen, officially assumed her position this month. She will work together with Vice Directors Fang Qiongyi and Chen Pinyu to form a new service team dedicated to promoting overseas Chinese education, community activities, as well as facilitating connections between Taiwan’s industries and Los Angeles.
Zhong Peizhen brings with her extensive experience in public service, having previously served as a social work supervisor for the Taipei City Government and worked in various units of the Ministry of the Interior and the Executive Yuan. From 2015 to 2019, she was stationed in the San Francisco Bay Area as the deputy director of an overseas Chinese affairs center, where she demonstrated a keen understanding of overseas Chinese affairs and a deep knowledge of the Taiwanese community in California.
Upon assuming her new role and witnessing the wildfires in Los Angeles, Zhong Peizhen remarked on the strong sense of unity within the local overseas Chinese community. Compatriots voluntarily engaged in rescue and disaster relief efforts, showcasing the kindness and compassion of the Taiwanese people. This incident once again highlights the fact that “Taiwan can help, Taiwan is helping.” While the impact of the wildfires on the overseas Chinese community in Los Angeles was limited, it served as a reminder of the importance of disaster preparedness in daily life.
The population and mobilization capacity of the Chinese community in Los Angeles rank among the highest for Taiwanese expatriates worldwide. Zhong Peizhen looks forward to collaborating with the overseas Chinese community to create new prospects for Taiwan-US relations. She emphasized her commitment to the principles of “taking proactive actions and strengthening connections,” aiming to deepen the ties between various generations of overseas Taiwanese and Taiwan through diverse channels such as promoting Chinese language education, cultural exchanges, and community activities.
Zhong Peizhen also plans to focus on facilitating interactions between Taiwanese youth and the new generation of overseas Taiwanese, as well as assisting the integration of the new generation of overseas Chinese with mainstream society. The establishment of a factory by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company in Arizona has brought about new demands for overseas Chinese affairs development in the region, and Zhong Peizhen will continue to provide services to emerging Chinese communities and assist in their growth.
The new leadership team at the Overseas Chinese Center in Los Angeles reflects Taiwan’s progress in gender equality and underscores the resilience, professionalism, and outstanding capabilities of women in the workplace. “Even the Chairperson of the Overseas Community Affairs Council, Hsu Chia-ching, is a woman,” Zhong Peizhen humorously pointed out. She pledged to convey her service enthusiasm through practical actions and provide higher quality services to compatriots.
As the center with the highest number of dispatched personnel from the Global Overseas Community Affairs Commission, the Los Angeles Overseas Chinese Center demonstrates Taiwan’s profound concern for and high regard to the local overseas Chinese community in Los Angeles. Zhong Peizhen emphasized that the center is the home for all overseas Chinese and expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Los Angeles overseas Chinese community for their long-standing support.