President Tsai meets Employment Gold Card holders
President Tsai Ing-wen presented the 1,000th Employment Gold Card and met with outstanding card holders on the morning of September 28. In remarks, she stated that Taiwan attaches great importance to democracy and freedom, and has a rich and diverse culture, with a safe environment that is suitable for investment. We will continue to welcome talent from around the world with open arms, the president said, and work together to make Taiwan better and engage more deeply with the world.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
I would like to welcome everyone to the Presidential Office to witness this milestone together: the issuance of the 1,000th Employment Gold Card. We launched our Employment Gold Card in 2018 to help outstanding talent from around the world who are interested in Taiwan, so they can establish themselves, work, invest, and live here.
Today, I will present three Employment Gold Cards. The first card is number 998, issued to Mr. Seamon Chan from the United States. We welcome his capital investments, which are helping Taiwan startups gain entry into international markets. Employment Gold Card number 999 is issued to Mustafa Ozgur Baydarol from Turkey. Mr. Baydarol, who has 10 patents, is an inventor of cutting-edge technology. Employment Gold Card number 1,000 is issued to Rodney Dean Morgan from the United States. We welcome him to stay in Taiwan and continue to participate in semiconductor industry development.
Also with us today is the very first Employment Gold Card holder, Steve Chen (陳士駿), well-known to everyone in Taiwan as the co-founder of YouTube, along with outstanding talent from Silicon Valley and around the world. We welcome you all to Taiwan to work together with us.
The fact that so much outstanding talent has come here shows that as global supply chains are being reorganized, Taiwan presents many opportunities. Taiwan attaches great importance to democracy and freedom, and has a rich and diverse culture, with a safe environment that is suitable for investment. I am sure that with the influx of multinational talent, Taiwan's industrial sector will become more internationalized, with the vision and capabilities necessary for global competitiveness.
Last year in an international poll, Taiwan was voted the world's "Best Destination for Expats." In the future, we will continue to welcome talent from around the world with open arms. I will ask the National Development Council to redouble their efforts to strengthen Employment Gold Card program publicity and various consultation services, so that foreign professionals can receive adequate assistance.
I also want to invite Employment Gold Card holders, in addition to your busy careers, to enjoy more of life in Taiwan, and see more places in Taiwan. And when you are not here, I hope you will also share how wonderful Taiwan is, and your experiences here, with the world. And if you have any ideas about industry, or attracting investment and foreign talent, please let us know. Let us all work together to make Taiwan better, and engage more deeply with the world.