President Tsai Ing-wen said Oct. 3 that Morris Chang, founder and former chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., will be her envoy at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting in Papua New Guinea.
Chang is eminently qualified to attend the biggest economic forum in the region, Tsai said. His peerless international reputation and invaluable contributions to Taiwan’s technology sector put him on an equal footing with world leaders when it comes to discussing key global issues, she added.
According to Tsai, her choice of Chang is welcomed by the people given his widely recognized central role in advancing Taiwan’s development. There is every reason to believe Chang and the APEC delegation will succeed in cultivating opportunities for cooperation with the other 20 member economies and ensure Taiwan keeps abreast of the latest trends across a broad spectrum of regionally relevant areas, she said.
Tsai said one of Chang’s priorities during the Nov. 12-18 meeting in PNG capital Port Moresby is to share the many ways in which Taiwan can help upgrade the digital economy across the Asia-Pacific. This involves highlighting the country’s achievements in bridging the digital divide and promoting related development among small and medium enterprises, she added.
Chang, who represented former President Chen Shui-bian at the 2006 leaders’ meeting in Vietnam, said he will demonstrate that Taiwan is more than just a link in the supply chain of the global digital economy. It is essential to remind the world of the country’s central position in the innovation chain and its ability to shape the digital future, he added.
Equally important is devising a coordinated strategy for mitigating the impact of rising nationalism on the global economy, Chang said, adding that Taiwan is well-equipped to partner with other APEC members in advancing this critical agenda.
APEC is an economic forum established in 1989 to achieve greater regional integration and prosperity through delivering balanced, inclusive, innovative, secure and sustainable growth. Since joining in 1991, Taiwan has made substantial contributions to numerous initiatives and projects spanning such areas as disaster prevention, food security, information and communication technology, and women and the economy. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw