President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has appointed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀) as her envoy to the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, the Presidential Office said Saturday.
Chang will attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, which is scheduled to be held Nov. 15-17 in San Francisco, United States, Presidential Office spokeswoman Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) said in a press release.
Under the Tsai administration, Chang has excelled in the role of the president’s envoy, successfully carrying out the duties assigned to him by Tsai at five previous APEC meetings, 2018-2022, Lin said.
Those duties included actively engaging with other APEC leaders, enhancing Taiwan’s global visibility, and conveying the country’s willingness and ability to contribute to the international community, Lin said.
Chang, 92, is the founder of TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, and he has served as the president’s envoy to APEC seven times. He first attended the annual APEC summit on behalf of Taiwan’s president in 2006, during the administration of then President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
In 1991, Taiwan joined APEC under the name “Chinese Taipei” and has since been participating in the intergovernmental forums that promote free trade in 21 Pacific Rim economies.
While the heads of government of all APEC members usually attend the annual Economic Leaders’ Meeting, Taiwan’s leaders have not been permitted to do so, due to China’s objection.
Source: Focus Taiwan
