President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday announced that she had once again tapped Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀) to represent her at the APEC leaders’ summit next month.
It is the second straight year that Chang is to go to the annual summit, which is to take place in Santiago, Chile, on Nov. 16 and 17.
Chang also represented Taiwan at the 2006 summit as then-president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) representative.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Chang, 88, is the former chairman of TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker. He retired on June 5 last year after more than three decades at the company’s helm.
Tsai told a news conference at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei that she chose Chang as her representative, because of his respected status in the international arena and in-depth knowledge of the evolution and development of the nation’s technology sector.
Tsai said she has given Chang and the APEC delegation two major tasks. The first is to share Taiwan’s views on how to strengthen international economic integration in the digital era.
The president said she wants Chang to tell the gathering of the nation’s resolve and accomplishments in promoting a digital society and smart nation policies over the past few years.
The second is to make known Taiwan’s dedication to promoting inclusive and sustainable growth, and joining other economies to boost economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region in an inclusive and sustainable way, Tsai said.
APEC is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and the emergence of the Internet has drastically changed the economy and people’s way of life over the past three decades, Chang said.
He said he would discuss how to fully utilize the digital economy to advance people’s welfare and solve problems, as the digital economy has also caused negative social effects, such as more severe unemployment and wealth inequality.
Chang met US Vice President Mike Pence on the sidelines of last year’s APEC summit in Papua New Guinea for talks on free trade.
It was the highest-level talks between leaders from Taiwan and the US at an APEC event.
At the 2006 summit in Hanoi, Chang was greeted by then-US president George W. Bush at the summit, who said: “I know who you are.”
Taiwan joined the regional economic forum in 1991, two years after its establishment.
However, Taiwan’s president cannot attend the APEC leaders summit, due to the group’s “one China” position.
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