Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) Palau has appointed Taiwanese scholar Chen Kai-siang (陳愷翔) as a special adviser to its health and human services minister, Taiwan's embassy in the Pacific island nation said Monday. Chen will help the ministry coordinate medical resources from Taiwan and advance public health policy, the training of health care personnel and international medical cooperation, the statement said. Over the years, Chen has led Taiwanese medical teams on trips to Palau to provide free clinics and public health services. He has also mobilized resources from Taiwanese hospitals, universities and nonprofit organizations to support chronic disease care, oral health promotion, cancer screening, health education and public health surveys in Palau, the embassy said. Medical cooperation has long been an important part of bilateral ties, with Taiwan providing health care services, professional training and other forms of assistance to the Pacific ally.