The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC; ) is a cabinet-level council of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The council was founded in 1926 in Canton (Guangzhou) in Kwangtung (Guangdong) Province.
Its main objective is to serve as a cultural, education, economic and informational exchanges organization between Taiwan and the overseas Taiwanese and Chinese descent communities. Its remit is not limited to expatriates from Taiwan, but includes all ethnic Taiwanese and Chinese living in a foreign country who "identify with the Republic of China (ROC)".
With the evolution of the political landscape and the Taiwanese localization movement, the organization now puts emphasis not only in Mandarin, but also on Taiwanese, Hakka, and other local languages. It offers information about aboriginal tribes in Taiwan, and its overseas offices may serve, in addition to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Offices.
Organizational structures Department of Policy Research and Development Department of Overseas Chinese Network Services Department of Overseas Chinese Education Department of Overseas Chinese Business Department of Overseas Chinese Student Counseling Secretariat Office Personnel Office Civil Service Ethics Office Accounting and Statistics Office Information Management Office Overseas Chinese News Agency Legal Affairs Committee
Title changes NameTime in useOverseas Chinese Affairs CommissionOctober 1926 – April 2006Overseas Compatriot Affairs CommissionApril 2006 – 1 September 2012Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission1 September 2012 – 12 November 2012Overseas Community Affairs CouncilSince 12 November 2012
The English title of the council was changed from "Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission" to "Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission" in 2006, officially to "avoid being confused as a governmental body of the People's Republic of China", under the desinicization policies of independence-leaning President Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party. However, its English acronym OCAC and Chinese name remained the same, to reduce the expense for its official title change. After the Kuomintang renewed its mandate in the 2012 election, the official English name was changed back to the original.
However, in November 2012 there was a controversy when it was discovered that the OCAC used simplified Chinese characters in some of its teaching materials. Amid threats in November 2012 from Democratic Progressive Party legislators to freeze the OCAC's budget, its director relented to demands to rename the OCAC to the ROC (Taiwan) Overseas Community Affairs Council.
Ministers
Political Party:
No.NameTerm of Office DaysPolitical PartyCabinet 1 Chen Shuren 27 April 1932 1 May 1947 Kuomintang Wang JingweiChiang Kai-shek IIH. H. KungChiang Kai-shek IIIT. V. SoongChang Ch'ün 2 1 May 1947 28 December 1948 Kuomintang Chang Ch'ünWeng WenhaoSun Fo 3 Dai Kuisheng 28 December 1948 19 May 1950 Kuomintang Sun FoHe YingqinYan XishanChen Cheng I 4 George Yeh 19 May 1950 16 April 1952 Kuomintang Chen Cheng I 5 Zheng Yanfen 16 April 1952 16 July 1958 Kuomintang Chen Cheng IYu Hung-chun 6 16 July 1958 24 June 1960 Kuomintang Chen Cheng II 7 Chow Shu-kai 24 June 1960 3 December 1962 Kuomintang Chen Cheng II 8 Kao Hsin 3 December 1962 1 June 1972 Kuomintang Chen Cheng IIYen Chia-kan 9 1 June 1972 1 June 1984 Kuomintang Chiang Ching-kuoSun Yun-suan 10 1 June 1984 27 February 1993 Kuomintang Yu Kuo-huaLee HuanHau Pei-tsun 11 John Chang 27 February 1993 10 June 1996 Kuomintang Lien Chan 12 James C. Y. Chu 10 June 1996 5 February 1998 Kuomintang Lien ChanVincent Siew 13 5 February 1998 20 May 2000 Kuomintang Vincent Siew 14 Chang Fu-mei 20 May 2000 19 May 2008 Longest serving female cabinet member. Democratic Progressive Party Tang FeiChang Chun-hsiung IYu Shyi-kunFrank HsiehSu Tseng-chang IChang Chun-hsiung II 15 Wu Ying-yih 20 May 2008 1 August 2013 Kuomintang Liu Chao-shiuanWu Den-yihChen ChunJiang Yi-huah 16 Chen Shyh-kwei 1 August 2013 19 May 2016 Kuomintang Jiang Yi-huahMao Chi-kuoChang San-cheng 17 Wu Hsin-hsing 20 May 2016 20 May 2020 Lin ChuanWilliam LaiSu Tseng-chang II 18 20 May 2020 30 January 2023 Democratic Progressive Party Su Tseng-chang II 19Hsu Chia-ching 31 January 2023 Designate Democratic Progressive Party Chen Chien-jen
Transportation The council is accessible within walking distance North East from NTU Hospital Station of the Taipei Metro.
See also Overseas Taiwanese Overseas Chinese Political status of Taiwan Executive Yuan Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning Overseas Chinese Affairs Office in mainland China
References
External links
Overseas Community Affairs Council, Republic of China (Taiwan) Overseas Community Affairs Council, Republic of China (Taiwan) (archive of old version)