Representative to the APEC leaders’ summit Morris Chang (張忠謀) interacted with US Vice President Mike Pence and other leaders attending the annual event, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
Chang and Pence held a brief meeting on the sidelines of the APEC CEO summit, the ministry said.
The talks were held after Pence finished a speech to the summit on a cruise ship in Port Morseby, which Chang also attended.
Photo: AP / Ministry of Foreign Affairs
A US official told reporters that Pence was “currently having a ‘pull-aside’ with the Taiwanese head of delegation to APEC Morris Chang.”
While the ministry did not disclose what Chang and Pence talked about, it said on Twitter that the talks are expected to “strengthen regional connections in promoting inclusive growth & shaping the digital future.”
According to Bloomberg, Pence said that Chang spoke to him about a possible trade deal.
“The conversation with them was about economics,” Pence said. “They were strong supporters of TPP [the Trans-Pacific Partnership] and they made a case for being considered for a free-trade agreement, and I assured them we would carry back that ask.’’
Pence declined to say whether the US would enter trade talks with Taiwan, adding that US President Donald Trump would make that decision.
Later in the afternoon, the APEC leaders, after being received by Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, posed for group photographs before attending the APEC business advisory council dialogue, providing Chang an opportunity to greet his counterparts.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍) and others shook hands with Chang before the photographs were taken.
Standing between Lee and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, Chang was fourth from the right in the second row, while Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) was on the left side of the front row.
Chang and Xi did not interact.
Despite being a full member of the 21-member intergovernmental forum since 1991, Taiwanese presidents are traditionally prohibited from attending the leaders’ summit due to China’s opposition.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) this year picked Chang, founder of the world’s largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), as the nation’s representative.
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