Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On August 16 at 7:30 p.m. local time (7:30 a.m. on August 17, Taipei time) Vice President Chen Chien-jen and his wife attended a reception at the National Palace celebrating Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina's inauguration. Vice President Chen, speaking as President Tsai Ing-wen's representative, once again expressed heartfelt congratulations to President Medina and his wife, and then mingled with various national delegations and Dominican political figures.

Around 9:00 that evening the vice president and his wife dined with the members of the Taiwan delegation, President of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in the Dominican Republic Chen Ling-fan (陳睖帆), and other leaders from the local expatriate community.

In remarks, Vice President Chen once again thanked the Taiwanese expatriate community in the Dominican Republic for their enthusiasm and support for Taiwan. Everyone who lives abroad, he said, is well aware of Taiwan's diplomatic predicament. He asked the expatriate community to work together to further Taiwan's diplomatic efforts, continue to back the government, and create more international space for the nation.

The vice president went on to say that although the Dominican Republic is far away from Taiwan, the passion of the expatriate community was truly heartwarming, especially with expatriates coming all the way from Argentina and Mexico. Leading a delegation to a foreign country as vice president for the first time, he stated that memories of the warm reception he received from the expatriate community will stay with him for a lifetime.

The vice president emphasized that Taiwan needs the support of generation after generation of overseas expatriates, who are the links between Taiwan and the countries in which they live. Even more, he said, expatriates are a bridge that brings Taiwan closer to the world. He then asked everyone to groom the younger generation to participate in expatriate community affairs, and continue to carry on the Taiwan Spirit in countries around the world.

Vice President Chen also pointed out that in the three months since taking office, the new administration has already begun to grapple with many difficult reforms. He believes that under President Tsai Ing-wen's leadership, the government will lead Taiwan forward with unwavering purpose and a steady hand. Both domestic reforms and diplomatic work will be carried out with the utmost resolve, and a conscientious attitude. By facing challenges head on, he said, we will not fail to meet the expectations of our fellow citizens at home and abroad.

The vice president stated that Taiwan will always be our home, a place we will always care about. So don't forget to come back and visit, he said, to feel the warm embrace of your homeland again, and see for yourself how it has changed while you were away.

Among those in attendance at the expatriate banquet were National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Tseng Hou-jen (曾厚仁), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Ching-shan Hou (侯清山), Republic of China Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Valentino Tang (湯繼仁) and Mrs. Tang, Overseas Community Affairs Council Commissioner Jimmy Hsieh (謝政民) and Mrs. Hsieh, Overseas Community Affairs Council Senior Advisers Lu Wei-ming (呂偉銘) and Chang Chia-sen (張加昇) and their wives, Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in Latin America President Hung Kuo-i (洪國益), President of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in the Dominican Republic Chen Ling-fan, the Association of Overseas Chinese Center in Dominican Republic Chairman Su King Fung Lion (馮賜權), and expatriates and delegation heads from the Dominican Republic and Latin America.

That same afternoon, Vice President Chen also toured the Museum of the Royal Houses (Museo de las Casas Reales) and Columbus' Palace (Alcazar de Colon) in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic. The vice president's interest was piqued as his English-speaking tour guide explained the cultural relics of the Spanish colonial period, and he praised the Dominican Republic's rich cultural heritage.