TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Morris Chang (張忠謀), the founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), was tapped on Thursday (Oct. 20) to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok this year on behalf of Taiwan.

It is the sixth time the 91-year-old tech magnate has been appointed to represent Taiwan at the event, five during the tenure of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and one under former President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

Tsai said at a press conference the appointment of Chang, the founder of the world’s largest contract chipmaker, underscores the importance of Taiwan in the global semiconductor industry. She believes the country will have a more prominent place at the event with its growing strategic significance.

Humbled, Chang said he would work to relay to the APEC members and the world President Tsai’s messages that Taiwan will seek to build ties with its partners promoting a secure and resilient supply chain, particularly in electronics. Also, he would highlight the efforts of Taiwan to address the challenges of climate change.

The annual summit will take place between Nov. 18-19 in Bangkok, Thailand, the 2022 host country for the inter-governmental forum for 21 economies in the Pacific Rim. Due to COVID, the last time summit was held in-person was in 2018 in Papua New Guinea.