The Overseas Chinese Affairs Council (OCAC) held a farewell dinner for its overseas Chinese affairs committee members on the final day of its recent meeting. The event, which included singing and a free commemorative video, was criticized by some overseas Chinese as a birthday celebration for former chair Xu Jiaqing (徐佳青), who resigned on 7 October amid allegations of privilege and misuse of public resources. In a press conference held today, the OCAC clarified that the dinner was a longstanding tradition intended to honor committee members whose service term had ended. “It has always been a farewell dinner, not a birthday celebration,” said a council spokesperson. The spokesperson added that the singing and video were spontaneous acts by committee members and were not pre‑planned as a birthday tribute. Xu Jiaqing stepped down on 7 October, and Vice Chair Li Yanhui (李妍慧) has been acting in his place. The resignation followed accusations that Xu had engaged in multiple privilege and public‑resource‑misuse controversies. Opposition party leader Chen Zhihong (陳智菡) of the People’s Party alleged that the OCAC had organized a birthday and farewell event for Xu Jiaqing during the council’s meeting. The claim prompted some overseas Chinese to question whether public funds were being misused. “Are we really spending public money in this way?” one overseas Chinese asked. During the press conference, French overseas Chinese affairs committee member Xue Yachu (薛雅俶) expressed her disappointment that the committee’s good intentions were being misrepresented. “The dinner is a long‑standing tradition,” she said. “We never defined it as a birthday celebration. The day happened to be Xu Jiaqing’s birthday, so we wished him a happy birthday, but it was not prearranged.” The OCAC emphasized that the event was meant to recognize the committee members’ long‑term service and to maintain the friendship and cooperation among them.
Article source: United Daily News | Image credit: United Daily News