President Tsai Ing-wen (front, right) / Photo courtesy of CNA
Taipei, Nov. 13 (CNA) Taiwan is strong in research capability and an important repository of global talent, President Tsai Ing-wen said Tuesday in Taipei.
Tsai made the remark while receiving representatives and dignitaries from foreign national scientific and research institutions at the Presidential Office that day, including John G. Hildebrand, foreign secretary of the United States National Academy of Sciences.
Hildebrand attended the International Scientific Leaders' Forum in celebration of Academia Sinica's 90th anniversary in Taipei a day earlier .
Tsai said Taiwan-based research has seen outstanding results in recent years and cited the 2018 World Economic Forum's global competitiveness report which ranked Taiwan 13 out of 140 countries.
In terms of innovation, Taiwan was ranked first in Asia and fourth in the world, Tsai noted, adding that Taiwan also has strong ties to many well-known international academic programs and organizations.
In addition to long-term academic exchange with Europe, the U.S., Japan and South Korea, Taiwan has also actively stepped up exchanges with New Southbound Policy target countries, including Singapore, India, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia, Tsai said.
The policy, initiated by Tsai when she assumed office in May 2016, aims to bolster Taiwan's relations with countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Tsai said she also hopes Taiwan will continue to contribute to issues of shared international concern, such as energy conservation, reducing carbon emissions, sustainability and artificial intelligence.
