Members of the “Taiwanese Youth Overseas Exchange Program” and the Los Angeles branch of the “Federation of Overseas Chinese Students and Scholars Association” (FASCA) held a seminar on July 13th (Saturday) at the Overseas Chinese Cultural and Educational Service Center in Los Angeles to exchange ideas. The purpose of the event was to help overseas Taiwanese youth strengthen their sense of identity with Taiwan and to encourage Taiwanese youth to broaden their horizons internationally, aiming to shine on the world stage together.
Chairperson Hsu Chia-ching of the Overseas Community Affairs Council of the Republic of China, Director Chen Min-yung and Deputy Director Fang Chiung-yi of the Los Angeles Overseas Chinese Center, Director Hsiao Pei-ju of the Orange County Overseas Chinese Center, as well as Taiwan Presidential Office policy advisors Tian Yi-hung, Chen Po-yu, Chen Chi-keng, Yang Hsien-yi, and many other honorary committee members of overseas community affairs attended the event to share their experiences.
Hsu Chia-ching mentioned that during her nearly one-month visit to the United States, she witnessed the enthusiastic participation and positive development of Taiwanese chambers of commerce and various community organizations in North America. The multicultural environment of Southern California provides a wide space for development for overseas compatriots, facilitating smoother and more frequent cultural and business interactions between Taiwan and the US. She emphasized that Taiwan’s community affairs work should not be limited to cultural promotion but should also involve interactions in various fields such as economy, education, and technology with overseas communities.
The Overseas Community Affairs Council will actively promote Taiwan to become an “economy that never sleeps” and deepen the “Mandarin teaching” brand of Taiwan, promoting Taiwan’s Mandarin education globally to make Taiwan the top choice for learning Mandarin. Currently, companies like Google and Apple have invited Taiwan to offer Mandarin courses within their enterprises, which will help enhance cultural understanding and business cooperation between Taiwan and the US.
Taipei International Trade Institute student Tsai Pei-hsuan, who participated in the exchange program, expressed that this exchange not only allowed her to understand the work of overseas personnel but also provided insights on how to promote the relationship between Taiwan and the US. She found that although there were some differences in language and communication styles between Taiwanese and American youth, through brief exchanges, they quickly understood each other and found common ground.