Chemists have been meeting global challenges, including global warming, food for everybody, race for sustainable energy, water quality, dwindling raw materials, and health problems. Despite fundamentally different political systems and cultural diversity, chemists go beyond borders globally through unique collaboration and friendship. That is, chemists find each other, share their findings, and solve problems together.

Of the four regional associations of chemists, the European Chemical Society (EuChemS), the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies (FACS), the Latin American Federation of Chemical Societies (FLAQ), and the Federation of African Societies of Chemistry (FASC), the FACS represents the most diverse community, spanning seven different cultures (Buddhist, Chinese, Hindu, Islamic, Japanese, Orthodox, and Western). The enormous heterogeneity, which has created significant challenges throughout the long Asian history, also offers exciting opportunities in our times.

Positioned at a unique crossroad with new opportunities and significant responsibilities, the FACS has recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, can and should assume a leadership role in catalyzing the collaboration and cooperation among multiple communities of chemists of various cultures across the Asia‐Pacific expanse. By the end of 2019, the FACS included 31 chemical societies in the Asia Pacific, and the list keeps growing. The FACS has held its flagship, biennial international conference, Asian Chemical Congress (ACC), to provide a communication channel and collaboration among the professional chemists in the region.

The first ACC took place in 1981 in Singapore, with this numbered events taking place later every 2 years rotating in Asian‐Pacific cities. The more recent ACCs are the 15th in 2013 in Singapore, the 16th in 2016 in Dhaka, and the 17th in 2017 in Melbourne. The Chemical Society Located in Taipei (CSLT) hosted the 18th Asian Chemical Congress and the closely related 20th General Assembly of the FACS during December 8–12, 2019, at the Taipei International Convention Center.

The scientific program of 18th ACC included Plenary Lectures, including the FACS Foundation Lecture, Keynote Lectures, including three FACS Award Lectures, Invited Lectures, and oral presentations. The 18ACC featured 902 presentations, including both oral and posters in total. There were 86 scientific sessions including three Presidential Lecture sessions, three RSC‐sponsored sessions, two ACES‐GDCh sessions, and one ACS session, among the many more highlighted features as seen in the 18th ACC Conference Report that is published in the Israel Journal of Chemistry.^[1] The 18ACC attracted more than 2,000 participants, including 650 international chemists from 50 countries.

The CSLT publishes a monthly periodical with Wiley, the Journal of the Chinese Chemical Society (Taipei). Members of the organizing committee of 18th ACC and Editors of the Journal decided to mark the occasion with a special issue featuring papers by the participants summarizing their presentations. The special issue has the goal to promote chemistry across the Asia Pacific region and the world, employing the publication platform of the host society. With the encouragement of Prof. Yu‐Tai Tao, the Editor‐in‐Chief, I have been serving as the Guest Editor, extending from my capacity as Secretary General of the 18th ACC in charge of scientific program. And I am more than honored to edit the manuscripts in the form of original articles, communications, accounts, and mini‐reviews to facilitate communication among chemists in the community.

Chemistry an Asian Journal also published, prior to the opening of the conference, a special issue dedicated to the 18th ACC, featuring contributions by keynote and invited speakers. In the editorial, Reuben Jih‐Ru Hwu, Chairman of the 18th ACC, and Theresa Kueckmann, Editor of Chemistry an Asian Journal, reflected on the objective of the 18th ACC and the importance of interactions among peers and international organizations.^[2] N.B. FACS is an official supporting organization for the publication of Chemistry‐An Asian Journal.

In this Special Issue, 13 articles were published by invitation from the pool of presentations in the 18th ACC. I have tried to narrow to a great extent my focus on the inorganic chemistry and on the organic/medicinal chemistry. Thanks to the authors, who presented his/her chemistry in the conference then accepted my invitation to summarize his/her presentation in a very nice form to read. Listed on the Table of Contents of the special issue are their names, to whom I am very grateful for their contributions. Let me mention also the prestigious FACS Award winners: Prof. Vivian Yam received the Foundation Lecturer Award; Prof. David Warren received the Distinguished Contribution to Chemical Education Award; and Datin Prof. Zuriati Zakaria received the FACS Citation Medal. They have also kindly shared their views in this Special Issue.

This Special Issue has its root on the 18th ACC, which was managed by Chairman Reuben Jih‐Ru Hwu of the National Tsing Hua University, and Honorary Chairman, Chain‐Shu Hsu of the National Chiao Tung University, and Yuhlong Oliver Su of the National Chi Nan University, President of the CSLT. I am indebted to them, and to Prof. Yu‐Tai Tao, the Editor‐in‐Chief of the Journal of the Chinese Chemical Society (Taipei).