Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen taps TSMC’s Morris Chang to represent island at Apec

Chang charged by Tsai with showing Taipei’s willingness to help curb the pandemic and strengthen ties to shore up supply chains

Taipei had hoped the virtual conference would reduce political sensitivity and allow Tsai to attend

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Morris Chang Chung-mou founded the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. He will represent Taiwan at a virtual Apec meeting. Photo: Reuters

Published: 4:23pm, 10 Nov 2020Updated: 11:11am, 19 May 2021

Morris Chang, founder of the world’s biggest contract chip maker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, will represent the self-ruled island in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to be held online next week.

Chang’s participation means Taiwan expects to have the attendance of its leader, Tsai Ing-wen, dashed under pressure from Beijing.

On Tuesday, Tsai appointed the retired entrepreneur as her representative attending the online summit hosted by Malaysia next Friday.

“Due to Covid-19, the 28th Apec economic summit will be held in the virtual form on November 20, and I hereby announce that [TSMC] founder Morris Chang will represent our country for the event,” Tsai said in Taipei.

Tsai said Chang would be charged with two tasks at this year’s summit: reiterating Taiwan’s willingness to join global efforts to stop the Covid-19 pandemic; and strengthening Taiwan’s external ties to consolidate the island’s position in global supply chains.

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