Premier of the Executive Yuan Den-Yih Wu, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Thomas Ping-Fu Hou, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Mr. Francis Kuo-Hsin Liang, Managing Director and Chief Consultant of China Productivity Center, Dr. Kuo-Ming Wang, President of the China Productivity Center Dr. Pao Cheng-Chang,  Officials of the APO led by Governing Body Chair Somdy Inmyxai, Experts and Coordinators,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

A pleasant afternoon to you all.

On behalf of the APO membership, please allow me to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has made this special 50th anniversary publication project possible:

First, to the Government of the Republic of China, a pioneering and progressive member of the APO, for providing the special grant that has allowed us to assemble the highly qualified team of renowned experts;

Second, to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their far-reaching vision of promoting innovation and sustainable productivity in the ROC and for all their support; and

Last but not least, to the China Productivity Center, one of APO’s most dynamic national productivity organizations, for its leadership, zeal, and commitment in undertaking this year-long project.

We commemorated the APO’s golden jubilee early this year at the 53rd session of the Governing Body where APO’s new vision, mission, and strategic directions were adopted.

In our strategic framework for the next decade, APO’s mission is to contribute to the sustainable socioeconomic development of member economies and to promote innovation as a key driver in achieving higher productivity.

In this project, the APO’s mission, vision, and strategic directions will be reflected as the main theme, along with the APO’s rich 50-year history.

It is no coincidence that the chief collaborator in this endeavor, the ROC, our host, has also adopted the themes of innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability in its economic development agenda. I believe that this confluence of principles and visions clearly illustrates our unity and mutual desire to raise productivity in the Asia-Pacific region, with the ultimate objective of improving the standard of living of its people.

Today’s launch ceremony is more than a symbolic gesture. It also recognizes and will build upon the APO’s half-century of capacity-building support for its members. We should all take justifiable pride in and appreciation for the achievements of all our partners and stakeholders.

This endeavor will be completed in the first half of 2012 and announced at an International Productivity Conference here in Taipei. The final publication will provide substantial inputs to the APO mission and vision for the next decade.

We have much to be grateful for, and the APO is honored to have the Government of the ROC, represented by the China Productivity Center, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as our key partner in this publication project.

I am certain that with the China Productivity Center and Chief Expert Dr. Tsu-Tan Fu leading the project, and with the contributions of the distinguished experts, the publication will be of historic value, and provide practical insights and policy recommendations to be incorporated into APO programs over the next decade.

I wish the team of experts every success and hope that in the process of preparing the publication they will identify and, where necessary, propose innovative productivity-enhancing approaches and methods. I am confident that all APO member economies will benefit from the experts’ findings and recommendations.

I know that we will all enjoy the program that the China Productivity Center has prepared for us this afternoon. Now in closing my remarks please join me in a round of applause to our hosts for their impeccable arrangements.

Thank you all.