TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) initially nominated Academia Sinica (中研院) academician Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) as his envoy to the APEC summit in November, but Peru has not agreed to this choice due to pressure from China, according to local media reports.
A source confirmed that President Lai initially preferred Chen because of his previous roles as vice president and premier, believing Chen's expertise in public health and biotechnology could contribute significantly to APEC.
More importantly, Chen holds the title of Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, conferred by the Vatican, which carries a message of respect and goodwill, especially since Peru is a Catholic country.
However, after more than a month of negotiations, Peru informed Taiwan last Wednesday evening that APEC requires consensus among member countries. They prefer a representative without a political background, effectively declining Chen's nomination by not delivering the invitation letter.
This decision marks a departure from previous practices, where former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) appointed People First Party (PFP, 親民黨) Chairman James Soon (宋楚瑜) in 2016 and 2017, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC, 台積電) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀) served for six consecutive years starting in 2018.
The selection process for Taiwan's APEC envoy continues, with discussions ongoing. Officials have yet to finalize and announce the new representative, leaving room for anticipation regarding the final decision.