While it is easy to talk about trying to become number five in the world in terms of international competitiveness, Chiang has been doing something about it. On May 1, even before formally taking over at the CEPD, Chiang had already presented the Kuomintang Central Standing Committee with a report entitled "Raising International Competitiveness." It is said that this report was praised at the highest levels.
連院長所交下的西元二千年前全球競爭力要考第五名的卷子談何容易，江丙坤卻早在五月一日尚任經濟部長時就已提交國民黨中常會一份「提昇國家競爭力」的報告，據說這份報告還曾得到層峰的讚賞。