On the evening of November 23, Legislative Yuan Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang (江啟臣) led a delegation of cross-party legislators to attend a farewell dinner hosted by the overseas community in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area, where the eight-day parliamentary diplomacy trip spanning the United States and Paraguay was brought to a successful conclusion in a warm and cordial atmosphere.
Nearly 170 overseas Taiwanese attended the farewell dinner, creating a lively and warm atmosphere that showcased the unity and support of the DFW community. In his remarks, Vice President Chiang first thanked the overseas compatriots for their generous hospitality. He said that leading a group of seven legislators to Dallas set a new record for legislative visits to the city.
Vice President Chiang stated that the delegation’s mission to the U.S. and Paraguay included attending the Board of Directors Meeting of the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America (TCCNA) in Detroit, followed by bilateral meetings with U.S. senators. He added that the delegation then proceeded to Paraguay, one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, where they met with the President, the Senate, and House Speakers, as well as approximately 50 members of the parliament, and visited multiple Taiwan–Paraguay collaborative projects.
Vice President Chiang remarked that although the itinerary for this visit was intensive, the delegation received a warm welcome from overseas compatriots at every stop, making them feel deeply at home and greatly encouraged. He also mentioned that the return trip included a special stop in Dallas to meet with local overseas compatriots, visit Taiwanese companies with operations in the area, and experience the new Taiwan-Dallas direct flight launching in October. Vice President Chiang stressed that amid major changes in global supply chains, Taiwan-U.S. relations are more important and closer than ever, and overseas compatriots play a key role in this. Taiwan’s visibility on the global stage is, he emphasized, the result of the hard work of Taiwanese communities abroad.
Vice President Chiang concluded with a heartfelt message to all overseas compatriots, stating that Taiwan is their home, and the Legislative Yuan is their “parental home.” He assured them that the Legislative Yuan will continue to be a strong pillar of support for overseas Taiwanese and warmly invited everyone to visit the Legislative Yuan when they are in Taiwan.
The event concluded in a warm atmosphere with the delegation and overseas compatriots singing together the song “We Are All One Family,” with both sides looking forward to meeting again in Taiwan in the future.
