Following a presentation on Taiwan's participation in the 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Premier Lai Ching-te on Thursday said that APEC is an important platform for promoting economic cooperation between Taiwan and other nations in the Asia-Pacific region. Noting that APEC's approach of putting people first pairs well with Taiwan's existing New Southbound Policy, the premier instructed responsible ministries and agencies to take the initiative in advancing related policy work through engagement with APEC.
The recent APEC meetings served as a stage for expounding on the direction of President Tsai Ing-wen's trade policy, said Premier Lai. He directed ministries and agencies to continue working to expand Taiwan's trade opportunities on a mutually beneficial, win-win basis and through bilateral, multilateral and plurilateral channels.
As more than six nations have opted to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the pact is expected to go into effect at the end of this year. The premier instructed agencies to take advantage of APEC to actively advertise Taiwan's hope to take part in second-round CPTPP negotiations and win the support of signatory nations for participation. Taiwan's willingness to join all bilateral or regional trade deals should also be highlighted, he said.
Premier Lai expressed special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Morris Chang for their hard work and excellent performance in representing Taiwan at the economic leaders' and ministerial meetings. With a distinctive show of the nation's soft power, the Changs further boosted Taiwan's positive image in the eyes of the world, the premier said, and engaged the U.S. in the highest-level discussions to date.