YOU Si-kun: Acknowledge Overseas Communities' Efforts in Bringing Glory to the Country

 President YOU attended the "Council Members’ Conference of Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC): Legislative Yuan Speaker's Banquet" at the Grand Hotel on the evening of August 29. The guests of honor included legislators Chung Chia-pin and Chiu Chen-yuan, OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching, Deputy Minister Ruan Zhao-xiong and Lu Yuan-rong, as well as overseas community leaders.

 On behalf of the Legislative Yuan, President YOU first expressed sincere gratitude to the OCAC and overseas compatriots worldwide. Despite facing the ever-changing international situations and the COVID-19 pandemic, every compatriot has worked hard over the past three years. Their efforts have contributed to Taiwan's impressive economic performance, coupled with the leadership of President Tsai Ing-wen, making Taiwan an international focus in recent years.

President YOU mentioned that on December 18, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the first "National Security Strategy," which marked a shift from former President Barack Obama’s positioning of China as a "strategic partner" to a "strategic competitor." From 2018 to 2021, the United States successively passed a series of pro-Taiwan bills, including “Taiwan Travel Act”, “Asia Reassurance Initiative Act”, “Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act”, and “Taiwan Assurance Act”. These developments represented a shift in U.S. policy toward Taiwan from its previous stance of one “Taiwan Relations Act” and three “Communiqués” to the "Five Acts, Six Assurances, and Three Communiqués." Additionally, the U.S.-China trade war officially began in 2018. During the ASEAN Summit in Singapore, then U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence stated, "We all agree that empire and aggression have no place in the Indo-Pacific," responding to Chinese President Xi Jin-ping's claim in 2012 that the "broad Pacific has enough space for the two great nations of China and the United States," which reveals the abandonment of Deng Xiao-ping's doctrine "hide your strength and bide your time" and Hu Jin-tao's "peaceful rise" approach and a declaration of China's rising hegemony.

President YOU continued by noting the friendly relationships built on mutual trust between Taiwan and the U.S. government since President Tsai took office. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe put forward a strategic thinking on December 1, 2021: "a Taiwan contingency is a contingency for Japan as well as for the Japan-US alliance". South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made it clear on April 19 that "Taiwan is a global issue, and South Korea absolutely opposes any attempt to change the status quo by force." Philippine President Bongbong Marcos mentioned on May 5 that "if Taiwan is attacked, the Philippine bases would be useful". Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated on May 10, "Taiwan's security is a global issue." French President Emmanuel Macron, contrary to his earlier stance in April, declared the "seven-year military program" on August 1, making France the first country across the globe to legislate the defense of navigation freedom in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. These international events reaffirm the recognition and support of democratic countries for Taiwan.

President YOU concluded by expressing sincere thanks again to the council members of OCAC and all overseas compatriots for showcasing Taiwan's economic strength and democratic values around the world.

President YOU and Mr. Chiang Wei-pin, representative of council members in attendance, exchanged gifts and then took photos with the guests of honor before toasting at each table to express welcome and appreciation. Finally, President YOU recited verses from Su Dongpo's "Shui Diao Ge Tou" and Tsai Hui-ru's “Unforgettable Memories," bringing the dinner to a smooth ending.