Former Vice President Vincent Siew is in China to attend the 2015 Boao Forum for Asia. The annual forum is being held in the southern Chinese province of Hainan through March 29.
Siew is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and discuss the possibility of Taiwan joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a multilateral fund that was initiated by China last year.
Siew said Friday that the main purpose of his Hainan trip is to meet some old friends and make some new ones. At the same time, he also wants to learn more about China’s new economic strategies.
"The most important thing is to make some new friends and meet with old ones. We also want to learn more about China’s new economic strategies such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road projects," said Siew.
Siew said that the newly initiated AIIB will need economies with experience to help with its development, and Taiwan’s experience can definitely contribute to the AIIB. Siew said that he will express Taiwan’s interest in joining the AIIB when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but he also stressed that since Taiwan’s diplomatic situation is special, it could be a while before Taiwan can join the AIIB.