Former ROC Vice President Lien Chan has been named for the fifth consecutive year as special envoy for President Ma Ying-jeou at the upcoming leaders’ summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Russia.
Lien, who is an honorary chairman of the ruling Kuomintang, will lead a delegation comprising ROC government officials to the summit scheduled for Sept. 8-9 in Vladivostok.
The former vice president is an ideal choice to attend the event on Ma’s behalf considering his rich political experience and outstanding performance in engaging with global leaders, according to the Presidential Office July 18.
“Lien is a highly seasoned political operator with a comprehensive understanding of world affairs,” Ma said in a statement.
Past practice dictates that the ROC president designates a representative to attend the APEC leaders’ summit on his behalf so as to avoid provoking protest over his direct participation from Beijing.
Lien is expected to engage with heads of state from APEC’s 21 member economies, including U.S. President Barack Obama and mainland Chinese leader Hu Jintao.
This year’s meeting, which is themed “Integrate to Grow, Innovate to Prosper,” highlights such issues as regional economic integration, trade and investment liberalization, enhancing food safety and establishing reliable supply chains. (JSM)
Write to Rachel Chan at ccchan@mofa.gov.tw