APEC Secretariat Praises Taiwan's Contributions, Commends Health Initiative and Active Participation

(CNA, reporter Li Tsung-hsuan, Bangkok, July 7) APEC Secretariat Executive Director Eduardo Pedrosa stated today at a forum hosted by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Taiwan actively participates in APEC healthcare cooperation and recently established a fund, making significant contributions to the organization. Carlos Kuriyama, Director of the APEC Policy Support Unit, also noted that Taiwan is very active in various working groups and is an important participant in APEC.

Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, was invited to attend a forum hosted by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs this afternoon to discuss current challenges faced by APEC, including the digital divide, supply chain disruptions, AI development, and uncertainty in trade policies.

During the forum, he emphasized the importance of APEC, stating, "APEC's greatest value lies in providing a non-binding platform for economies to share experiences and learn from each other, rather than demanding legally binding commitments."

In an interview with CNA after the forum, Pedrosa pointed out that Taiwan has always been very active in APEC's healthcare sector and recently established a new fund to support APEC's work, making "huge contributions" to APEC's efforts, for which the Secretariat is very grateful.

Pedrosa was referring to the "Sub-Fund for the Future of Healthcare," a major initiative proposed by Taiwan in APEC for the first time in 10 years.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release in June that the "Sub-Fund for the Future of Healthcare" received unanimous support from all APEC member economies, and a memorandum of donation of US$1.5 million was signed by Taiwan's Senior Official for APEC, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations Sun Chien-yuan, and Pedrosa during the APEC Second Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM2) in May.

Carlos Kuriyama, Director of the APEC Policy Support Unit, also attended the forum today. Kuriyama stated at the forum that APEC's regional economic growth momentum has slowed this year, mainly due to increased trade restrictive measures, supply chain pressures, and rising energy costs driven by the situation in the Middle East, indicating that the regional economy remains highly uncertain.

He emphasized that under these circumstances, supply chain resilience is more important than ever. Additionally, the demand for AI and digital technologies will continue to drive trade in semiconductors and high-tech products.

Kuriyama told CNA after the forum that Taiwan has always been an important participant in APEC, continuously engaging in cooperation on multiple initiatives, and is "very active in working groups and committees." He also stated that promoting supply chain operations and enhancing supply chain resilience are currently very important issues. (Editor: Tang Sheng-yang) 1150707

Stand with facts, your every donation is a force to protect press freedom

Download CNA's "First Hand News" APP to get the latest news in real-time

This website's text, images, and videos may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.