March was a good month for Taiwan-U.S. relations. In what may be a new record, three key U.S. officials made separate visits to Taiwan during the month: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Alex Wong, U.S. Ambassador to APEC Matt Matthews, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing Ian…
Speaking at AmCham Taipei’s 50th annual Hsieh Nien Fan banquet at the Grand Hyatt on March 21, Alex Wong, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific, staunchly reaffirmed American government support for Taiwan. Stating that “the United States has been, is, and always will be Taiwan’s closest friend and partner,” Wong said “the…
Most member companies of the Chamber are optimistic about Taiwan’s economy and their own profitability over the next three years, but business leaders have serious concerns about energy, the labor law and the way regulations are made. Those were the major findings of the 2018 Business Climate Survey, conducted for AmCham by PwC Taiwan. The…
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…
