The 20 leaders from across the social spectrum invited to serve as consultants for the national conference on economic and trade affairs (NCETA) will convene their first preparatory meeting at the Executive Yuan May 18, Executive Yuan Spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun announced today.
These leaders will discuss topics such as how Taiwan should respond to the global trend of regional economic integration, concrete measures it should take to face these challenges (including accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership), and how cross-strait policies may influence Taiwan's future economic development.
The consultants will also confer to determine the NCETA's agenda, procedures and schedule as well as the principles and methods for selecting the national conference representatives.
A dinner banquet after the conclusion of the meeting will be hosted by the premier.
The NCETA, which is scheduled to be held in late July, will provide a platform for nationwide participation, fair hearings for all views and exchanges of opinions to draw on collective wisdom and form strategies regarding Taiwan's participation in regional economic and trade integration as well as cross-strait economic and trade exchanges, Sun stated.
In advance of the nationwide NCETA , four regional economic and trade affairs conferences will be held, one per week, with one each in northern, southern, central and eastern Taiwan, according to the planning of the National Development Council. The first of these conferences will commence in late June.
In order to incorporate young people's diverse opinions and improve information transparency, the NCETA will make good use of popular social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, along with other interactive tools and platforms. The organizer will also seek opinions from consultants on aspects of online participation, including setting up platforms, collecting the public's views and facilitating recommendations of conference representatives by social network users.
The 20 members of the panel of NCETA consultants, in alphabetical order, are:
Chen Rui (President, Chinese Federation of Labor)
Chen Tain-jy (Professor, National Taiwan University)
Chen Wei-jao (Professor, National Taiwan University)
Chiang Pin-kung (former Chairman, Straits Exchange Foundation)
Christina Sung (Chairman, Taipei 101)
Chuang Chueh-an (President, Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions)
Ho Chih-chin (former Minister of Finance; Executive Vice President of National Cheng Kung University)
Ho Mei-yueh (former Minister, Council of Economic Planning and Development, Executive Yuan)
Hsu Sheng-hsiung (Chairman, Chinese National Federation of Industries)
Jan Hung-tze (Chairman, Taiwan Internet E-Commerce Association)
Lai Cheng-I (Chairman, General Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of China)
Lin Hsin-I (former Vice Premier)
Lin Hwei-yen (Chairperson, National Association of Small & Medium Enterprises, ROC)
Sunny Lin (Chief Executive Officer and concurrently Editor-in-Chief, Social Enterprise Insights)
T.H. Tung (Chairman, Taiwan Computer Association)
Tung Wen-ya (President, Taiwan Federation of Labor)
Weng Chi-huey (President, Academia Sinica)
Wu Se-hwa (President, National Chengchi University)
Yiin Chii-ming (former Minister without Portfolio, Executive Yuan)
Yu Guo-hua (Chairman, Performing Arts Alliance)