The Australian-Taiwanese community and our chambers of commerce make an important contribution to the overall Australia-Taiwan economic relationship. This week, ‘40 years, 40 stories’ proudly presents Emily Lee, Honorary Chair of the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Oceania and former Chairwoman of the Melbourne Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce. In various roles, Emily and her colleagues at the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Australia have played a key role in supporting Taiwanese business development in Australia and promoting Australia-Taiwan business, cultural and social ties. Here is Emily’s story:
I moved from Taiwan to Australia in 1988 as a student. Living in Australia, and transitioning from student, to music teacher and then to businesswoman, I have always been very proud of my Taiwanese heritage. My association with the Chamber provided a way for me to deepen my connection with the Taiwanese community here.
Australia and Taiwan share similar values, and I have always seen tremendous opportunity to create stronger ties between our two communities. For Taiwan, Australia is an important gateway to international markets while for Australia, Taiwan offers quality and scalability. Both of us prioritise respect for the rule of law and the protection of intellectual property.
My journey in Australia and Taiwan has been exciting, even though at times challenging. But I have found these experiences incredibly rewarding, with opportunities to serve as chair and board director of a number of successful companies in Australia and Asia. Perhaps most rewarding of all has been the opportunity to build personal connections and many lasting friendships across broad and diverse communities.
My involvement with the Melbourne Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce (MTCC) started after I was awarded the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year Award’ by the Melbourne Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs. It didn't take long to see the benefits of being part of such an important organization.
As President of the Melbourne Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce, I worked to strengthen connections between Taiwanese businesses and the Victorian, and broader Australian business community. This included facilitating exchange of experiences in business operations and technology, promoting industry development and international markets, and strengthening regional economic and trade cooperation. The Chamber also supports links between Taiwanese heritage business people in Australia and Taiwanese heritage business people worldwide.
Some of the recognition that I have had the honour to receive includes:
- Ambassador for Energizing Business
- Recipient of a Victorian Government Multicultural Award for Excellence 2014
- Victorian Multicultural Business Ministerial Council member (2008- 2015)
- Victorian Government Innovation Expert Panel member (2016-2019)
My love for Taiwan, and recognition of the importance of the Chamber’s work and the value of building relationships, resulted in my long involvement with the Taiwan Chambers of Commerce in Oceania (TCCO), including as its 20th Chair in 2018. The TCCO was founded in 1998 with the aim of promoting social and cultural exchanges, mutual understanding and economic development between Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan.
It was also an honour to attend the Australian Office’s ‘First Wave: Australia-Taiwan Indigenous Fashion Exhibition’ reception at the Tainan Museum of Archaeology, which coincided with the annual World Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce (WTCC) meeting in Taiwan in September last year.
It is wonderful to see the Australia-Taiwan relationship continue to deepen, building on our long-standing friendship, cultural links, complementary economies and shared goals. I look forward to continuing to be part of creating stronger Australia-Taiwan cultural and business connections.