'Taiwan is Our Brand' - Bai Yue-chu Proudly Walks Tall

Financial Focus

"As a Taiwanese, I am very proud." Bai Yue-chu, President of the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America (TCCNA), returned to Taiwan in early April to host the Taiwan-US Economic and Trade Forum, hoping to pass on her 40 years of experience rooted in the United States and build a bridge for Taiwanese businesses to enter the American market. Upon landing, she immediately began preparing for various matters, only getting to bed late at night. Unexpectedly, she received a call from the US at 3 AM and immediately got up to work. Others worried she was working too hard, but she casually said, "Thinking that I can do something for Taiwan, I don't feel tired at all."

Bai Yue-chu's mother gave birth to her on Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam during wartime, hence the name "Yue-chu" (meaning 'Vietnam Pearl'). Her father was a military officer who came to Taiwan from Vietnam. Although her upbringing was difficult, as the eldest daughter, she was disciplined, self-reliant, and worked tirelessly, earning a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Economics from Soochow University, a Master's in Statistics from the University of Arkansas, and a Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the University of Missouri. After completing her studies, she worked for major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer in the US. In recent years, she founded several biotechnology consulting firms, assisting with new drug launches, and has a prominent reputation in the medical industry, receiving awards such as the White House Lifetime Achievement Award.

Despite developing her career in the US for many years, she deeply appreciates Taiwan's nurturing and tirelessly hopes to help Taiwan shine on the international stage. After being elected President of the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America in 2025, she fully dedicated herself. This time, she led the organization of the forum "New Framework for Taiwan-US Economic and Trade Agreement: Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, and New Layout of Non-Red Supply Chains for Taiwanese Enterprises Investing in the US," successfully acting as a bridge for Taiwanese SMEs to enter the US market, receiving an enthusiastic response.

Upholding the philosophy of "Let the world see Taiwan," Bai Yue-chu not only promotes Taiwan to everyone she meets but also wears a Taiwan-shaped brooch on her clothing, which was particularly eye-catching at the forum venue.

"Twenty years ago, when I told American friends I was from Taiwan, they often asked, 'Where is Taiwan? Is it Thailand?'" But now, the first thing they say is, "Oh! TSMC." This means that Taiwanese people are striving and rising steadily. "Now, when we are abroad, as Taiwanese, I walk with pride." She took time out of her busy schedule for an exclusive interview with "Global Central," and her eyes lit up when she mentioned Taiwan.

Bai Yue-chu has long served as the chairwoman of the Chinese school in Baltimore, Maryland. She said that seven or eight years ago, she often saw Americans who spoke Chinese very well, but most of them learned it in Beijing. Some students even told her that when they arrived in Beijing, they were welcomed with a red carpet and received preferential treatment. Bai Yue-chu's foundation, named after her father Bai Ping, originally promoted overseas Chinese education. She had a flash of inspiration and offered scholarships for American high school students to learn Chinese in Taiwan, which had excellent results.

"Taiwanese people are very kind, why go to Beijing to learn, and not to Taiwan to learn Chinese?" Bai Yue-chu mentioned a small story: an American student went to Taiwan, and the host family didn't pick him up. She was very nervous when she heard the news, but her American husband told her, "You don't need to be nervous, we're talking about Taiwan. Taiwan is the safest place on Earth."

When mentioning the competition between Taiwanese and Chinese people in the US, Bai Yue-chu could not hide her pride as a Taiwanese. "Why did I establish two companies, and after selling them, my clients still chased after me?" She said, because Taiwanese people work very hard and won't slack off just because the boss isn't around. "Reputation is the boss." These qualities are what she sees in many Taiwanese international students and Taiwanese people, which allows Taiwanese people to go far in the US.

"Taiwan has a good reputation abroad, all earned by its own citizens." After being elected President, she actively promoted Taiwan internationally, knocking on doors in US political circles, often using various opportunities to contact federal senators and representatives, hoping they would speak up for Taiwan and pass pro-Taiwan bills. Last year, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the "US-Taiwan Double Taxation Relief Act," which was a fruitful achievement.

Taiwan and the US signed the "Reciprocal Trade Agreement" (ART), with Taiwan committing to expand investment in the US, further deepening bilateral relations. Bai Yue-chu saw the opportunity and actively promoted Taiwan-US economic and trade exchanges. She said that this time, 37 professionals returned to Taiwan together. These Taiwanese businesspeople have worked hard in the US for 30-40 years, overcoming many difficulties, and hope to pool their strength and share their experiences with Taiwanese enterprises, and are willing to provide more assistance.

Bai Yue-chu said that in recent years, Taiwan has many excellent medical research and development talents. Perhaps due to funding limitations for SMEs, they can only complete Phase 1 trials and cannot proceed to Phase 2 and 3. Now that the government provides credit guarantees, she encourages everyone to develop in the US and cooperate with the US, which is a great opportunity.

She reminded that many people say there is gold everywhere in the US, but you still have to bend down to pick it up; gold won't automatically jump into your hands. "Bending down" means working hard and enduring hardships. She hopes that Taiwanese people will be more united, allowing everyone to walk with pride in the US.

At the end of the forum, a brand expert gave a keynote speech on "Brand Power." Bai Yue-chu then took the stage to respond, "Taiwan is our brand." These powerful words ignited enthusiastic applause from the audience and served as the best annotation for her giving back to her homeland and promoting Taiwan-US exchanges.

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CNA's in-depth international reporting brand, written by correspondents stationed in over 30 countries, brings Taiwanese readers a diverse view of the world.

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