The Presidential Office yesterday announced that it would send businessman and senior presidential adviser Lin Hsin-i (林信義) to attend this year’s APEC summit next month.
Lin would attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in the Peruvian capital, Lima, scheduled for Nov. 15 and 16 as President William Lai’s (賴清德) envoy to the meeting, a statement from the Presidential Office said.
Presidents have been unable to attend the forum’s leaders’ summit — even though it is a full APEC member — due to pressure from China.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan instead has traditionally appointed a prominent figure to represent the president.
Lin previously attended three APEC meetings on behalf of Taiwan — in Brunei in 2000, China in 2001 and South Korea in 2005 — during the Democratic Progressive Party administration of then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
Lin is also chairman of Taiwania Capital Management Corp, and served as minister of economic affairs between 2000 and 2002, and vice premier between 2002 and 2004 as part of the Chen administration.
Lai asked Lin to attend the meeting to use his “professional and abundant experience to fully expound the meaning of the government’s policies” and “effectively increase Taiwan’s visibility and importance” at the meeting, the statement said.
The trip would also be aimed at promoting cooperation on “green digital transformations, digital innovation, digital health, small and medium-sized enterprise growth, women’s economic empowerment, inclusive growth and food security,” it added.
Taiwan has participated in APEC meetings every year since it joined in 1991.
Morris Chang (張忠謀), founder of chipmaking giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, attended the leaders’ summit on behalf of then-president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) every year from 2018 to last year.
Local media reported last week that Lai initially chose former vice president and premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend this year’s APEC summit, but the selection was rejected by Peru at Beijing’s behest.
The government did not deny the report.
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency as well as long-term residency in Taiwan has decreased, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday, adding that the reduction of Chinese spouses staying or living in Taiwan is only one facet reflecting the general decrease in the number of people willing to get married in Taiwan. The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency last year was 7,123, down by 2,931, or 29.15 percent, from the previous year. The same census showed that the number of Chinese spouses applying for long-term residency and receiving approval last year stood at 2,973, down 1,520,
EASING ANXIETY: The new guide includes a section encouraging people to discuss the threat of war with their children and teach them how to recognize disinformation The Ministry of National Defense’s All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency yesterday released its updated civil defense handbook, which defines the types of potential military aggression by an “enemy state” and self-protection tips in such scenarios. The agency has released three editions of the handbook since 2022, covering information from the preparation of go-bags to survival tips during natural disasters and war. Compared with the previous edition, released in 2023, the latest version has a clearer focus on wartime scenarios. It includes a section outlining six types of potential military threats Taiwan could face, including destruction of critical infrastructure and most undersea cables, resulting in
RSS