Taiwan should continue enhancing cooperation with other Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member economies so as to create more global business opportunities for the country, according to Premier Lai Ching-te Nov. 16.
 
It is important for Taiwan to take part in bilateral or multilateral frameworks, as the country’s development is deeply intertwined with the regional economy, Lai said. All government agencies should therefore ramp up efforts to prepare for the nation’s bid to join the proposed Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, he added.
 
The premier made the remarks at the Executive Yuan in Taipei City after a briefing by Taiwan’s delegation to APEC Economic Leaders’ Week that took place Nov. 6-11 in Danang, Vietnam.
 
Lai thanked James Soong, President Tsai Ing-wen’s special envoy to the annual summit, and other delegates for successfully completing their missions. He also directed the Cabinet to build on the delegation’s achievements and continue promoting collaboration with other member economies in areas prioritized for the next APEC gathering.
 
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Soong took part in four official meetings, three banquets and two interviews during the APEC summit, including dialogues with leaders from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to share the country’s development experiences.
 
Soong also held discussions with Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon, and engaged in exchanges with leaders and key business representatives from Russia, Japan, Singapore and the U.S. to bring them up to speed on Tsai’s key economic and trade policies.
 
Regarding Taiwan’s specific APEC contributions, the National Development Council cited the country’s initiatives spanning agriculture, women’s empowerment and human resources development. The council said these include the APEC Gendered Innovation for Technology and Science, APEC Skills Development Capacity Building Alliance, APEC Women and the Economy Subfund jointly launched with Australia and the U.S., and the five-year Strengthening Public-Private Partnership to Reduce Food Losses in the Supply Chain.
 
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the delegation successfully communicated the country’s commitment to working with regional partners on expanding foreign trade and maximizing trade liberalization for mutual benefits. (SFC-E)

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