As part of AmCham Taiwan’s 75th anniversary reflections, Taiwan Business TOPICS reached out to Richard R. Vuylsteke, who served as president of AmCham Taipei from 1999 to 2008. Later president of AmCham Hong Kong and subsequently head of the East-West Center in Honolulu, Vuylsteke helped guide AmCham Taiwan into the 21st century, overseeing a period of institutional transformation that helped shape the Chamber’s modern role in advancing U.S.-Taiwan business engagement.
In your message for AmCham’s 70th anniversary, you described the Chamber as both a participant in and a “cheerleader” for Taiwan’s economic development. Looking back on your presidency, how did you see the Chamber balancing constructive advocacy with the realities of policymaking in Taiwan?
AmCham Taipei was extremely successful in gaining access to Taiwan government decision makers to discuss economic and business development topics. Key components of success were building trust, linking well-researched recommendations to Taiwan’s own stated goals, and bringing the right Chamber members to the table for face-to-face advocacy.
Behind all this was dedicated committee and AmCham staff work. We were constructively critical and persistent. We kept important issues on the table, sometime for years, because it was the right thing to do for international business and, we thought, for Taiwan’s economic growth and vitality.
During your tenure, many White Paper recommendations faced slow uptake despite strong engagement from members and committees. What did that experience teach you about how business chambers can remain persistent and credible even when progress is incremental?
Patience is a virtue. Slow uptake was only part of the challenge. Economic environments change, as do business priorities. It was essential for our recommendations to be frequently updated and refined. Government meeting engagements included presenting as well as listening carefully to what the Taiwan (and U.S.) government considered barriers to change.
Dialogue on a foundation of trust is essential. Behind the scenes interaction was no less important than the White Paper, press releases, Hsieh Nien Fan, and other crucial activities to keep the Chamber in the news as a constructive player in Taiwan’s development.
What are some of the accomplishments you feel proudest of from your time as AmCham President?
People are at the core of AmCham success. I was fortunate indeed to be able to hire Anita Chen as our dynamic government affairs director and Don Shapiro as communications director and editor-in-chief of TOPICS. As we all know, they remain essential to the Chamber’s ongoing success. We also had a terrific briefing team of dedicated business leaders, including Paul Cassingham, Tom McGowan, Andrea Wu, and impressive committee chairs too numerous to list. We were an orchestra of effort working on behalf of our members.
Regulatory reform and labor competitiveness were recurring themes during your leadership. Which areas do you feel have moved in the right direction since then, and where do you believe Taiwan still faces structural constraints that affect international business confidence?
Regulatory reform is a constant process and is never without pain and suffering! There are always structural constraints from government and local businesses, but they evolve. As that happens, the Chamber also needs to be alert and flexible, which means helping and not just harping.
Having later led AmCham Hong Kong and the East-West Center in Honolulu, you have watched Taiwan’s trajectory from a broader regional perspective. As AmCham Taiwan enters its 75th year, what role could the Chamber play in the coming decade as companies navigate supply-chain realignment and economic security concerns?
Cross-Strait tensions and global economic realignments are increasingly challenging. The Chamber’s ongoing communication with the U.S. government through its Doorknocks and key leader engagements are no less important than interactions with the Taiwan government.
Companies are facing huge new pressures, including AI, cybersecurity, supply-chain adjustments, and much more. As always, the Chamber needs to stay on top of business changes and finetune its work with all stakeholders. Looking back, I must say I miss it all — working with terrific people on important issues. Gratifying in the extreme.
