Director-General Douglas Y.T. Hsu of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston (TECO-Boston) was invited to deliver the closing remarks at the Conference, "The Ocean’s Turn?" held by the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, on September 28, 2018. Mr. Hsu pointed out that Taiwan, as an ocean country, looks forward to strengthening cooperation with the world in the areas of marine research, humanitarian aid, and disaster prevention.
Director-General Hsu highlighted the fact that Taiwan is an ocean country and plays a key role in global fisheries, shipping, and aquaculture industries. Taiwan's strategic position also highlights its vital geopolitical role in the region, for example, Taiwan worked with the United States for the enforcement of United Nations sanctions against North Korea to advance peace and stability in the region. Regarding the South China Sea issue, Mr. Hsu noted that Taiwan as a responsible stakeholder in the region follows the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and willing to develop Taiping Island into an international science center and a hub for humanitarian assistance. Mr. Hsu also mentioned that with the vigorous development of ocean research and the marine science industry in both New England and Taiwan, he looks forward to actively exploring cooperation between Taiwan and the region.
The conference was hosted by Bhaskar Chakravorti, the Dean of Global Business at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, with more than 200 people in attendance. Experts and scholars from Iceland, Greece, Norway, and Boston attended the conference, focusing on the maritime issues that included, in part, renewable energy, shipping, aquaculture, innovation technology, and environmental protection.
