Kuala Lumpur, Dec. 9 (CNA) Taiwan on Monday donated US$550,000 to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to support the forum's initiatives in advancing economic integration and sustainable growth across the region, according to the nation's representative office in Malaysia.

The donation was made after Bob Chen, head of the foreign ministry's Department of International Organizations, and Rebecca Sta Maria, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) during an informal senior officials' meeting held in Langkawi, Malaysia, earlier in the day, the office said in a press release.

Chen, who doubled as Taiwan's senior official to APEC, was quoted in the press release as saying that the US$500,000 donation will be used to support APEC's multiple initiatives, including those related to empowering the role of women and helping small and medium enterprises in the APEC economies, as well as initiatives on emergency preparedness and universal healthcare.

The rest of the US$50,000 will be used to facilitate the operations of the APEC Policy Support Unit, the forum's research arm, Chen noted.

The latest round of donations came after the country's US$200,000 donation to APEC's Digital Innovation Sub-Fund in March, according to the office.

Founded in 1989, APEC is an inter-governmental forum for 21 Pacific Rim member economies that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Taiwan joined APEC as a full member under the name Chinese Taipei in 1991.