In the past, many Taiwanese looked to Singapore as a place to develop business and to send children to study. But times have changed. Now some say that the education, medical care, and cost of living in Taiwan is better than in Singapore. The Overseas Community Affairs Council has made efforts on this front, trying to integrate Taiwan with the international community. Part of its projects include benefits for Taiwanese business people overseas and ethnically Chinese people based in Taiwan.
Shih Chih-lung
World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce
After two or three years, I wanted to go back to Taiwan, but they wouldn’t let me come back.
Shih Chih-lung bravely ventured to Singapore to do business when he was young, creating his own empire in a foreign place. However, his native land “Taiwan” was always on his mind.
Hsu Chia-ching
OCAC minister
Taiwanese business people around the world are like our President Shih Chih-lung, who, when he was young, set off with only his courage. In the past few years, I have heard him tell me that he loves it each time he comes back to Taiwan. He returns to Taiwan for health check-ups. He comes back to Taiwan for all kinds of treatments, teeth cleaning and so on.
After all, whether it’s medical care or education, Taiwan is at the forefront of the world. Going to a Singaporean clinic to see a doctor and get medicine costs NT$1,500 to NT$2,000. Meanwhile, even for Singaporeans who travel in Taiwan without health insurance, and who accidentally get injured or fall ill, the medical expenses are less than NT$1,000. In the past, many Taiwanese rushed to send their children to study in Singapore’s multilingual environment. However, now Taiwan’s education environment is different.
Chang Mu-lan
Singaporean immigrant
Singapore is relatively high-pressure. When it comes to education, there is pressure to get to the next education level. When my son came to Taiwan to study, it was only hard in the beginning because he had to learn traditional Chinese characters. After that, he felt “Wow! It’s so relaxing!” He feels that Taiwan is really blessed.
The diversification of education in Taiwan is causing more and more overseas Chinese to hope that their younger generation can be educated in Taiwan. The Overseas Community Affairs Council also attaches great importance to Taiwanese business people overseas and international students. It has introduced insurance subsidy policies to reduce the burdens involved in working in a foreign land.
Hsu Chia-ching
OCAC minister
In the first half of the year, we let them buy student insurance and then the Overseas Community Affairs Council provides them with subsidies. As long as they study, work and live here for over a year, they can be entirely covered by national health insurance. In addition, for those ethnic Chinese or foreign students, we also have subsidies to reduce the pressure on those students.
The relevant welfare policies of the Overseas Community Affairs Council are building a bridge to bring Taiwan in line with international standards.
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