Taiwan Today

continues to play a significant role in the international organization, especially in the field of disaster recovery.

Under the auspices of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), at the end of September and mainland jointly organized and hosted the Workshop on Large-Scale Disaster Recovery. The part of the workshop was held over four days in and , central . was the site of the devastating September 21, 1999 earthquake that claimed the lives of 2,413 people. Mainland hosted the final two days of the workshop in province, which was the epicenter of the earthquake that on May 12 left more than 80,000 people dead or missing. All told, representatives from 12 of the 21 APEC member economies attended the workshop.

Under the name of Chinese Taipei, has participated in APEC for all but two years of the organization's existence. APEC began as an informal discussion group in 1989, but has since become the Asia Pacific region's top forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment. gained full membership in APEC in 1991. Through participation in APEC, the organization's 21 member economies work toward the creation of a barrier-free business environment, investment liberalization and regional peace through cooperation and communication.

Political realities resulting from the Republic of China's (ROC) rocky relationship with mainland have meant that has enjoyed few opportunities to participate in international organizations. Along with participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO), APEC is one of the few major international organizations that is able to take part in. Nevertheless, mainland 's opposition has prevented from hosting high-level APEC events such as ministers' meetings, and no president of the ROC has participated in the annual APEC leaders' meeting. Instead, has sent business leaders and high-profile academics to the summits.

Despite these restrictions, continues to play a significant role in APEC, including leading initiatives in areas that are less politically sensitive, such as the field of disaster recovery. proposed hosting the Workshop on Large-Scale Disaster Recovery under the auspices of the APEC Task Force for Emergency Preparedness (TFEP) in May this year at an APEC senior officials' meeting in . Taiwan's proposal for the disaster recovery workshop drew strong support from 11 other APEC members, with Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, mainland China, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, South Korea, the United States and Vietnam signing on as co-sponsors for the initiative.

Earthquake Relief

This support was likely bolstered by the fact that teams from the Red Cross Society of the ROC and the Taipei City Government assisted with rescue and recovery efforts for victims of the earthquake. Former Taipei Deputy Mayor Ou Chin-der, a leading figure in relief and reconstruction work for the 1999 earthquake, led the team of 22 search and rescue specialists. Equipped with specialized detection instruments, on May 16 the team took a direct charter flight from to 's capital city. This marked the first time that Taiwanese search and rescue specialists had ever taken part in disaster relief efforts in mainland . Several days later, another Taiwanese team of medical professionals and volunteers departed for for further relief operations.

Located largely in the Asian segment of the so-called "Ring of Fire," a huge region of volcanic and seismic activity that encircles the , APEC member economies have been struck repeatedly by natural disasters including earthquakes, typhoons and tsunamis. As a result, APEC's attention has increasingly turned to disaster relief and recovery, according to Chen Liang-chun, director of the National Science and for Disaster Reduction, which organized the TFEP workshop in . "We've devoted a great deal of resources to developing emergency measures to assist victims of natural disasters, especially typhoons, as well as pursued scientific research and technological development in the field," he says. "Our big investment in this area could be of great interest to members of the international community facing the challenges of global climate change."

Through the APEC platform, 's local experience and knowledge in the field of disaster prevention and recovery can be shared, reviewed and strengthened. Chen, who is also a professor in 's Graduate Institute of Building and Planning, notes that while post-disaster relief and rehabilitation are important, it is also necessary to build the capacity to cope with the aftermath of natural disasters before they occur. "A coordinated prior effort to mitigate the effects of natural disasters is crucial," Chen says. "Based on 's strengths in information technology, we have great potential to develop a disaster information system that is able to effectively collect, analyze and distribute relevant data. We have also been developing a system to simulate the consequences of natural disasters, enabling the central and local governments to take precautionary measures and formulate proactive policies." , which, like , is plagued by typhoons and earthquakes, follows a similar course. Among other things, is working on an earthquake early warning system. "Even a warning given just 10 seconds before a major earthquake can greatly reduce the harm it causes," Chen adds.

Precious

Opportunities to participate in international organizations are especially precious and helpful to , given the constraints it has faced since its 1971 withdrawal from the United Nations. APEC provides a venue for ROC representatives to interact directly with high-ranking officials and important figures from countries that have no formal diplomatic ties with the ROC, but which nonetheless maintain close bilateral economic and social ties.

Aside from participating in high-level meetings such as the APEC Ministerial Meeting and Leaders' Meeting, top representatives from and other APEC members are also able to exchange views on the sidelines of the event. "Mainland cannot forbid these informal bilateral meetings held 'in a small room,'" says Johnny Chiang, an associate research fellow at the , a government-sponsored organization founded in 1998. The center is based in the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research and Chiang is the acting director of its Department of International Affairs. "Outside the APEC structure, how else can 's education minister, for example, interact freely and openly with ministers from 20 other countries?" Chiang asks. With the exception of the ROC's Mainland Affairs Council and Ministry of National Defense, all of the ROC's governmental units--especially the Ministry of Economic Affairs--participate in APEC events at all levels. For example, as of September, 's representatives had attended about 160 APEC meetings this year. In a typical year, APEC holds about 200 meetings. With pressure from mainland often preventing other official contact, Chiang says "other countries are happy to get the chance to talk to at APEC events."

Next year, at the annual APEC Leaders' Meeting scheduled to take place in , the organization will celebrate its 20th anniversary. "The organization is ready to respond to world trends and address a wide range of issues such as terrorism and climate change," says Lee Chyung-ly, an associate research fellow at 's . "These issues have a direct impact on economic relations and trade for APEC members. From a national strategic point of view, this is why must not narrow its APEC participation to just trade and economic issues."

As APEC member economies differ considerably in their stage of development and economic focus, APEC faces a somewhat different pool of priority issues each year. The theme for this month's annual APEC Forum in is "A new commitment to Asia Pacific Development." As of press time, 's representative to the forum was undecided. Major issues the forum is expected to take up include strengthening ties between the public and private sectors, enhancing cooperation with international financial institutions and developing an integrated approach to major regional problems such as energy security, climate change and sustainable economic growth. "The three 'F problems' of food, finance and fuel have become hot topics in recent years," Chiang says. " is also quite interested in the issues faced by small and medium-sized businesses, an area in which has a great deal of experience and expertise."

Issues for Discussion

Chen Liang-chun of the National Science and for Disaster Reduction believes that while the APEC platform enhances the exchange of information and helps to build a knowledge base in the disaster field, APEC meetings typically do not result in concrete actions. 's Lee agrees, saying that "in contrast to the WTO, which creates binding agreements and resolutions, APEC, through its different task groups, focuses on presenting various issues for discussion and dissemination."

The 's Johnny Chiang points out that the main functions of APEC are to build relationships among member economies, articulate standpoints and collect information. "It's kind of like testing the waters," he says. "The topics raised and discussed in APEC meetings are likely to become major subjects that will be formally negotiated and settled in other international venues."

Both Chiang and Lee hope that can devote more resources to APEC affairs. Among other courses of action, they believe should systematically recruit more young talent in the field of international relations. Chiang notes that, due to the limitations it faces in the diplomatic arena, Taiwan has been more dedicated to bilateral than multilateral relations in the past, frequently donating billions of dollars in aid to individual countries. "The new government has said it wants to pursue alternatives to the old diplomatic approach," he says. "Perhaps a greater dedication to APEC would be a good place to start."

Chiang also believes that can provide a good example for other countries through its work with organizations such as APEC. Referring to the ROC's 1991 accession to APEC, he notes that "in contrast to mainland China's 1989 crackdown on the Tiananmen protests for democratic reforms, at that time Taiwan was an emerging democracy and its robust economy was winning great recognition around the world."

Write to Pat Gao at kotsijin@gmail.com