We noticed something different in the recently completed 2018 AmCham Taipei Business Climate Survey, summarized in this issue of TOPICS. There’s a sense that progress is beginning to be made in many problem areas. To be sure, the survey respondents had plenty of concerns. These include the treatment of professional and managerial personnel under current…
BY NATHAN SNYDER AND JEFFREY LIEN Early this year, Taiwan’s legislature passed a set of amendments to the Labor Standards Act (LSA), Taiwan’s core statute governing labor and employment. These amendments, which were officially implemented on March 1, 2018, feature changes intended to provide greater flexibility to employers whose business needs may make compliance with the…
Rediscovering Taiwan BY WILLIAM FOREMAN Taiwan was the first place I visited when I got my first passport. Just out of college, I had two goals: explore the world and learn Mandarin, which I thought would lead to an exciting career. Picking Taiwan as my starting point was one of the smartest things I’ve done…
It’s said that Japanese farmers raising Wagyu cattle sing to them to make them happier – and their succulent, fat-marbled beef even more delicious. Ask anyone who has eaten Wagyu beef prepared at The Sherwood Taipei’s TOSCANA Italian Restaurant and you’ll hear them sing the praises of this tender but firm, full-bodied, rich beef with…
Although it’s the same pale gold as a light-bodied sparkling white wine, the bubbly served in the crystal flute at the Regent Taipei’s Gourmet Gallery isn’t champagne. Rather, it’s a refreshing sparkling green tea. Served chilled to complement a delightful, mildly sweet onion tart appetizer, the subtle and refreshing Sparkling Biluochun is part of the…
For years, a key element in AmCham Taipei’s advocacy agenda has been an appeal to the government to ease the way for foreign white-collar personnel to live and work in Taiwan. Major progress was made in that direction with the Legislative Yuan’s passage on October 31 of an Act for the Recruitment and Employment of…
The series of food-related scandals in Taiwan in recent years has aroused public concern regarding the safety and reliability of the food supply. In effort to provide a communication platform to enhance understanding of food safety laws and regulations, AmCham Taipei’s Retail Committee conducted a Chinese-language Food Safety Forum at The Sherwood Taipei on October 17. The event was sponsored by…
The American withdrawal from the nascent Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade block almost immediately after President Trump assumed office early this year left Taiwan without a concrete, compelling objective to work toward in its economic relationship with the United States. Until then, Taiwan had a clear focus – its hope that it would be able to…
More than 160 AmCham Taipei members and guests attended the 2017 Annual General Meeting, November 21 at Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel. Opening the session, Chamber Chairman Albert Chang thanked the Chamber’s current Board for their service and outlined the organization’s achievements over the past year. He also paid tribute to President Andrea Wu, who…
20The 2017 edition of the always much-anticipated American Ball, co-organized by AmCham Taipei and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), took place October 28 in the beautiful Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Guests enjoyed the room’s dazzling Chicago-themed décor provided by the Feng Ze Design Center, crowd-pleasing entertainment routines devised by the VMJ…
