Saturday, June 9, 2018

President Tsai encourages young Taiwanese to reach out to the world


Yeh Su-ping and Shih Hsiu-chaun, focustaiwan.tw; see also (1)

uncaptioned image from article

Taipei, June 8 (CNA) China's increasing pressure on Taiwan, to squeeze its international space, hasn't caused frustration for Taiwanese people who know that the way out of the situation is to have the courage to reach out to the world, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Friday.

Tsai made the remarks when she addressed young people who will join a summer internship program organized by the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC), a Cabinet-level agency with overseas outposts that serve Taiwanese expatriates.

"We did not feel frustrated with China's recent diplomatic suppression of Taiwan. We will yield nothing to unreasonable demands," Tsai said.

She encouraged young people in Taiwan to step out of their comfort zone to explore the world with passion and courage.

The president tasked the young adults with two missions -- sharing the stories they learn about from overseas Taiwanese on social media such as Instagram or Facebook, and introducing Taiwan to new friends from different countries they meet during their trips.

"Any face-to-face communication and personal encounter is an important form of public diplomacy [JB emphasis] which can lead to an unexpected windfall in the future," she said.

The program is in its second year and is offering 200 internships this year, an increase of 80 compared to last year. The internships are based in 25 cities in 12 countries. Among other tasks, the interns will be assisting the OCAC with holding cultural events.

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