President Tsai designates TSMC founder Morris Chang as Leader's Representative at APEC Economic Leaders' Week
President Tsai Ing-wen held a press conference on the morning of October 14 to announce that she will once again invite Dr. Morris Chang (張忠謀), founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd (TSMC), to act as her envoy to attend the 2019 APEC Leaders' Week in Chile. The president entrusted Dr. Chang and the delegation with the mission to clearly communicate to all APEC members Taiwan's determination and achievements in promoting a "digital society" and a "smart nation." She also asked them to share with our international partners the efforts Taiwan has made to promote inclusivity and sustainable growth, so that we can all work together to promote inclusivity and sustainable growth in the Asia-Pacific regional economy.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
I am here today to formally announce that we will once again invite TSMC founder Dr. Morris Chang to serve as our Leader's Representative to APEC. Dr. Chang will act as my envoy in attending the APEC Economic Leaders' Week in Chile this November.
Dr. Chang achieved a long list of accomplishments when he served as the Leader's Representative to the APEC Economic Leaders' Week last year. In addition to communicating Taiwan's thinking regarding "our digital future" at open meetings, Dr. Chang also took advantage of sideline meetings to engage in extensive discussions with leaders of partner nations regarding how to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
APEC is an important platform for promoting economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region, and Taiwan is a full member of APEC. We have always been an active participant in APEC dialogue mechanisms, which we use as opportunities to expand economic and trade cooperation with other nations.
The APEC theme for 2019 is "Connecting People, Building the Future," which includes the following four priorities: Digital Society; Integration 4.0; Women, SMEs and Inclusive Growth; and Sustainable Growth.
We are asking Dr. Chang to take on this important task again this year because he is so highly respected in the international industrial community, and because he has unique and penetrating insights on the development of Taiwan's high-tech industry. Dr. Chang is the best possible person to represent Taiwan in dialogues with the leaders of other countries regarding regional economic and trade matters as well as the digital economy.
This year, I have two important missions that I want to entrust to Dr. Chang and all the members of our APEC delegation:
First, the question of how to use new digital technologies to enhance Asia-Pacific economic integration is an issue that all nations in the region are facing.
For this reason, my first mission for you all is this: I want to ask each of you to clearly communicate to all APEC members Taiwan's determination and achievements in promoting a "digital society" and a "smart nation." I also want you to put forward Taiwan's thinking on how to strengthen transnational economic integration in the "digital age."
Second, digital societies, besides spurring economic innovation, must also bring about economic empowerment and narrow the digital divide, both of which are important APEC goals.
Therefore, my second mission for the delegation is this: I want you to share with our international partners the efforts Taiwan has made to promote inclusivity and sustainable growth, so that we can all work together to promote inclusivity and sustainable growth in the Asia-Pacific regional economy.
Given Dr. Chang's long experience in industry, I am more than certain that he can provide the very best guidance on how to pursue cross-border economic integration in the digital age. And I am also quite confident that he can identify the best possible opportunities for cooperation between Taiwan and its trade partners.
In addition, Dr. Chang's wife, Sophie Chang (張淑芬), interacted quite well with other national leaders and their spouses at last year's APEC activities, and she successfully took advantage of "charity diplomacy" and "artistic diplomacy" to put Taiwan's soft power on display before the international community.
Under Dr. Chang's leadership, I am confident that our APEC delegation this year will accomplish its missions and will enable the international community to appreciate Taiwan's determination to take part in regional economic integration and our efforts to realize a "digital future."
Dr. Chang then delivered remarks, saying that he was extremely honored and pleased to accept this mission and attend the APEC meetings in Chile as Taiwan's Leader's Representative. APEC is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, he said, and during those three decades world trade has flourished, with many changes in the global economy. The rapid rise of the Internet has impacted global economic development, and changed the way many people work and live.
Dr. Chang then said that over the past few years, people have been talking about what kind of contribution the so-called "digital economy" will make. At the last APEC Economic Leaders' Week, Dr. Chang also posited that the Internet ushered in the digital economy and the digital age. That, he said, was not only a contribution, but also brought problems, including possible unemployment and greater income disparities. He said he is honored to attend the APEC meetings as a Leaders' Representative once again, and will have many opportunities to discuss with leaders from various countries how we can take full advantage of the digital economy's contributions, and resolve its problems.
Dr. Chang also stated this is the third time that he and his wife will attend the APEC meetings as a Leaders' Representative. The first two times he attended gave him a great sense of accomplishment, he said, and this time will be no different. The first time they attended, his wife also attended as his spouse and interacted with the other leaders and their spouses accordingly. The second time, however, she also attended in her role as a philanthropist and a bit of an artist. This time, her role as an artist will be an even greater focus. Both he and his wife, Dr. Chang said, are looking forward to the APEC Leaders' Week in Chile.
Also in attendance were National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General David T. Lee (李大維) and consultative members accompanying the delegation: Executive Yuan's Minister without Portfolio John C. C. Deng (鄧振中), National Development Council Minister Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶), NSC Deputy Secretary-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥), TSMC Vice President and General Counsel Sylvia Fang (方淑華), and TSMC Acting Spokesperson and Senior Director of the Corporate Communications Division Elizabeth Sun (孫又文).