Taiwan ex-VP Vincent Siew now in Manila for Apec summit

Former vice president of Taiwan Vincent Siew has arrived in Manila for the 2015 Asia Pacific Cooperation Economic (Apec) Leaders’ Week.

Siew will represent President Ma Ying-jeou in the Apec summit.

The former vice president arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 at 1:20 p.m. onboard a China Airlines plane.

Siew, who arrived with his wife Susan Chu, was welcomed by Secretary of the Cabinet Rene Almendras and Manila Economic and Cultural Office Ambassador Amadeo Perez.

Almendras and Siew spoke for a few minutes before the Taiwanese leader boarded one of the BMW sedans deployed for the Apec.

Siew became the vice president of Taiwan from 2008 to 2012.

A report from the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) on Friday cited a statement from President Ma’s office saying that Siew was chosen to represent Chinese Taipei because he is “well-versed in economic and trade diplomacy, and multilateral trade negotiations.”

The statement from Ma’s office cited Siew’s experience in economic affairs and diplomacy as a reason why he was invited to represent Chinese Taipei at the Apec summit.

“President Ma believes the former vice president’s expertise, background, experience, and connections will undoubtedly substantively enhance the nation’s influence in the trade regime within the Asia Pacific, and that is why he has again invited former Vice President Siew to serve as his representative,” the statement from President Ma’s office read.

He has previously attended a total of six Apec meetings as a minister of economic affairs and representative of the Chinese Taipei government.

Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China both became member economies of the Apec in 1991.

However, according to China’s “One China Policy,” only a representative of the Chinese Taipei government, not its president, can sit during Apec meetings.

Taiwan, an independent island nation, has long been tagged by Beijing as a renegade island.

The Philippines has long adhered to the One China Policy. Through the TECO, the Philippine government continues to have economic and diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

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