Taiwan seeks meaningful role at APEC summit, highlighting AI strengths

President Lai Ching-te urged Taiwan's representative to lead the island's participation in this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China. Stan Shih, the 81-year-old founder of Acer, was appointed to represent Taiwan at the summit, marking his second appearance at APEC in 2007. Lai emphasized that despite global challenges such as geopolitical tensions, energy issues, and supply chain restructuring, Taiwan would remain a stable and trusted force in the region.

At a news conference in Taipei, Lai affirmed that APEC serves as the most significant multilateral platform for economic and trade cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, where all members interact on an equal footing. He reiterated that Taiwan's active involvement in the forum not only safeguards the country's economic interests but also allows it to contribute its unique perspectives and experiences to the global economy, making its voice heard internationally.

Lai further highlighted that Taiwan would leverage the APEC platform to foster global technological cooperation and innovation exchanges, with a particular focus on building a resilient and reliable artificial intelligence (AI) technology supply chain. Shih echoed these sentiments, stating that AI is a pivotal topic of discussion at this year's APEC meeting, and Taiwan's extensive experience in semiconductors, digital technology, and the AI supply chain positions it as an indispensable partner in global AI cooperation.

Notably, Taiwan did not receive an official invitation to the summit but was contacted by email, marking an unusual departure from customary procedures. Shih emphasized his intention to utilize this opportunity to engage with leaders at the summit. Lai commended Shih's extensive promotion of business leadership among younger generations, making him well-suited to represent Taiwan.

Taiwan has been an independent democratic entity since 1949, though China views the democratically governed island as part of its territory and has not ruled out the possibility of using force to bring it under its control.