A farewell dinner was held for Representative John Chen at his residence on the 14th of December. In attendance were members of Parliament, government officials, business leaders, and representatives of the media, leaders of the Taiwanese community and colleagues from the Taipei Liaison Office in RSA. All-in-all, around 120 people came to bid farewell and God-speed to Representative Chen.
Representative Chen has been posted to the Taipei Economic and Trade Office Jakarta, Indonesia and said in his farewell speech that he will miss the open spaces, scenery, wildlife and the warm hospitality and friendliness of the South African people. He thanked all in attendance for making his tenure in South Africa a happy and memorable time. A special word of thanks went to the Taiwanese community in South Africa who had opened their hearts and homes to him over the past one year and eight months, making him feel very welcome and at home.
Thanking his colleagues for all their hard work and support throughout his term, Representative Chen attributed his success to his team, saying that together they had made his achievements possible.