Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀) has arrived in San Francisco, where he is to represent President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week.
Chang, 92, and his wife landed at 3pm on Tuesday and were greeted by Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴).
Chang did not answer questions about whether he would meet with US President Joe Biden. The couple headed straight to their hotel, where they were greeted by a group of about 50 overseas Taiwanese and later attended a welcome banquet hosted by Hsiao.
Photo: CNA
Hsiao, who is expected to be Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Vice President William Lai’s (賴清德) running mate in January’s presidential election, did not comment on the issue when she arrived at the hotel, where Taiwanese media are staying during the summit.
Before leaving Taiwan, Chang pledged to enhance the nation’s visibility at the APEC summit, which runs until tomorrow and is themed “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.”
Speaking at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Chang said he would engage with other APEC leaders and convey the nation’s willingness and ability to contribute to regional peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, and to develop more resilient supply chains.
He said he would also convey Taiwan’s readiness to work with partners on transitioning to green energy and bridging the regional digital divide.
Chang has served as the president’s envoy to APEC seven times. He first attended the annual APEC summit on behalf of then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in 2006, and has attended the meeting on Tsai’s behalf six times.
Taiwan’s presidents have been unable to attend the annual APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting due to China’s objections, even though Taiwan is a full APEC member under the name “Chinese Taipei.”
Meanwhile, 22 US senators on Tuesday issued a joint statement urging Biden not to make “more concessions” to China, including on Taiwan, when meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday.
US Senator Jim Risch, a ranking member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led fellow Republicans in releasing the statement.
“It is paramount that Biden and his administration don’t give an inch on US policy on Taiwan,” the statement said, adding that it would be “one more grave error” regarding competition between the two superpowers.
“Few issues are more urgent than ensuring Taiwan has the capabilities and training it needs to deter Chinese aggression,” the statement said. “Vital US national and economic security interests, and the future of the entire Indo-Pacific region, are both at stake here.”
‘FORM OF PROTEST’: The German Institute Taipei said it was ‘shocked’ to see Nazi symbolism used in connection with political aims as it condemned the incident Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 yesterday amid an outcry over a Nazi armband he wore to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case on Tuesday night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and apparently covering the book with a coat. This is a serious international scandal and Chinese
PERSONAL DATA: The implicated KMT members allegedly compiled their petitions by copying names from party lists without the consent of the people concerned Judicial authorities searched six locations yesterday and questioned six people, including one elderly Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member and five KMT Youth League associates, about alleged signature forgery and fraud relating to their recall efforts against two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. After launching a probe into alleged signature forgery and related fraud in the KMT’s recall effort, prosecutors received a number of complaints, including about one petition that had 1,748 signatures of voters whose family members said they had already passed away, and also voters who said they did not approve the use of their name, Taipei Deputy Chief Prosecutor
UNDER ATTACK: Raymond Greene said there were 412 billion malicious threats in the Asia-Pacific region in the first half of 2023, with 55 percent targeting Taiwan Taiwan not only faces military intimidation from China, but is also on the front line of global cybersecurity threats, and it is taking action to counter those attacks, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Speaking at the opening of this year’s Cybersec Expo in Taipei, the president assured foreign diplomats and exhibitors that Taiwan remained committed to strengthening its defense against cyberattacks and enhancing the resilience of its digital infrastructure. Lai referenced a report from the National Security Bureau (NSB) indicating that the Government Service Network faced an average of 2.4 million intrusion attempts daily last year, more than double the figure
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE TRAINING: The ministry said 87.5 percent of the apprehended Chinese agents were reported by service members they tried to lure into becoming spies Taiwanese organized crime, illegal money lenders, temples and civic groups are complicit in Beijing’s infiltration of the armed forces, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a report yesterday. Retired service members who had been turned to Beijing’s cause mainly relied on those channels to infiltrate the Taiwanese military, according to the report to be submitted to lawmakers ahead of tomorrow’s hearing on Chinese espionage in the military. Chinese intelligence typically used blackmail, Internet-based communications, bribery or debts to loan sharks to leverage active service personnel to do its bidding, it said. China’s main goals are to collect intelligence, and develop a
RSS