President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) highlighted efforts taken by overseas-based Taiwanese to promote Taiwan, during the first ever Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) conference held online.

Affiliated members of the OCAC typically meet in Taiwan once a year to share how their communities are doing and provide feedback to the government. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person meeting originally scheduled for April in Taipei was postponed until Monday and held online.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Tsai praised the work done by overseas Taiwanese in promoting business opportunities in Taiwan, such as the Select Taiwan organization founded by businesspeople in North America.

The organization seeks to increase the visibility of investment opportunities in Taiwan, Tsai said, adding that she thought these efforts could also be adopted in other countries.

Overseas Taiwanese have also advocated for Taiwan's international participation and raised the nation's global visibility, Tsai said.

In terms of work done by the OCAC, the council has increased the amount of loans that overseas Taiwanese businesspeople can take out under its Overseas Credit Guarantee Fund, as many businesses are struggling due to the impact of COVID-19, Tsai said.

The OCAC has also come up with innovative ways to attract more overseas Taiwanese to pursue higher education in Taiwan, Tsai said, such as a livestream competition that invites students to share what it is like to study in Taiwan.

Through the work of overseas Taiwanese, Taiwan can continue to enhance cooperation with other countries in fields like trade and technology, Tsai said.

In his address, OCAC Minister Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said that he will pay close attention to concerns expressed by overseas Taiwanese during the virtual two-day meeting, so that the government can better tailor its policies to meet their needs.