President Ma Ying-jeou has decided to request former Vice President Lien Chan (連戰), currently serving as chairman of the National Policy Foundation, to attend the upcoming 19th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held in Honolulu, Hawaii on November 12-13.
President Ma mentioned that Mr. Lien, having served as the ROC's foreign minister, provincial governor, premier, and vice president, is fully conversant with domestic politics and international affairs. Mr. Lien has attended the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on President Ma's behalf three times before, and because of his outstanding performance in engaging with world leaders over the past three years, President Ma decided to designate Mr. Lien to attend on his behalf for the fourth consecutive year.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the ROC's entry into APEC, the goal of which this year is to build toward a "seamless regional economy."