After World War II, Taiwan’s western lowlands saw rapid economic and social development, boosted by Taiwan’s strategically central location within East Asia – with Japan to the northeast and the Philippines to the south. Cities like Taipei and Kaohsiung multiplied in size, and factories producing “Made in Taiwan” goods proliferated. Families that had farmed for…
Taiwan Ranks in Fourth Place in Corporate Governance in Asia Thanks to a vigorous push by the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), Taiwanese listed companies have made substantial progress in corporate governance in recent years, greatly boosting investors’ confidence and interest in the market. Currently, for example, over half of listed companies have embraced e-voting, a…
Taiwan’s two main political parties, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Kuomintang (KMT), which recently reversed roles as the governing and opposition parties, have widely diverging positions on many issues. But on one point they are firmly in accord: the need for Taiwan to maintain its economic competitiveness by readying itself for eventual participation…
AmCham Taipei’s 2016 Golf Championship, held May 27 at the Kuo Hua Golf & Country Club in Tamsui, saw a total of 58 golfers on 15 teams gather for a day of friendly competition and fun. With a full shot-gun start, all players teed-off promptly at 6:30 a.m., following the Texas Scramble format. Under clear…
Taiwan’s long-term prosperity will require a shift to a new economic paradigm centered on the ability of knowledge-based industries to generate constant innovation. Yet many of the government policies and regulations in place are still geared toward the traditional factory production-line models of the past. That approach is already incompatible with current needs, let alone…
In appreciation for his longstanding participation in AmCham Taipei, the Chamber’s Board of Governors has voted to present E.F. (Ephraim Ferdinand) Einhorn with a Lifetime Honorary Membership. Einhorn, who refers to himself as “97 years young,” is a man of a rare combination of talents, including businessman, scholar, rabbi, linguist, and practitioner of private diplomacy….
Continuing its efforts to enable Taiwan to overcome political obsacles to gain access to vital health and security-related information from international organizations, the United States government has committed to helping Taiwan participate as an observer in meetings of the International Criminal Police Organization, more commonly known as Interpol. On March 18, President Barack Obama signed…
With exports continuing to fall month after month from the previous year’s levels, and with negative growth in the past two quarters officially confirming that the Taiwan economy has fallen into recession, the new government taking office May 20 will need to place economic revitalization at the top of its policy agenda. One of the…
AmCham Taipei recently released the results of its sixth annual Business Climate Survey soliciting the views of key executives at its member companies (a report on the major findings can be found within this issue of TOPICS). The survey is always conducted at the end of the calendar year and made public in mid-January after…
Taiwan’s determination to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) multilateral trade pact at the earliest opportunity is becoming increasingly evident. Following release early in November of the full text of the agreement recently concluded among the United States, Japan, and 10 other countries, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Foreign Trade began studying the documents’…
