Marinus “Dutch” van Gessel, who died April 13 at the age of 90, played a central role in what has been called AmCham Taiwan’s finest hour: its resolute action to ensure continuation of a sound U.S.-Taiwan relationship following the December 1978 American announcement abruptly ending official diplomatic ties. During his chairmanship of the Chamber in…
The watchword for the new Lai administration is “continuity,” with an emphasis on maintaining close ties with the United States, avoiding any cross-Strait crisis, and pursuing policies to cut Taiwan’s carbon footprint. When Lai Ching-te takes office on May 20 as the eighth President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), he will come equipped with…
Made in Taiwan, published by a division of Simon & Schuster underscores the rightful place of Taiwanese food on the global culinary stage. Admittedly, I shouldn’t be the best choice to write about a cookbook. My experience in front of a stove is largely limited to boiling water for tea or coffee, plus the occasional scrambling…
More American states view Taiwan as both a market for their products and a source of incoming investment. As recently as three years ago, only six U.S. state governments were operating offices in Taiwan to promote business with the island. Today the number is 17, including Guam (an American territory that in this context is…
U.S. Congress shows strong support for necessary legislation. The idea of creating a mechanism to resolve double-taxation issues between the United States and Taiwan was first broached more than 15 years ago. The Taiwan authorities had long supported such a proposal as a sign of closer relations with Washington, but only in the past two…
Although TSMC takes the spotlight in Chip War, one of the book’s themes is the breadth and complexity of the supply chain that has enabled the success of the global semiconductor industry. A host of companies – many of them AmCham Taiwan members – are recognized for their vital role in the chip-making process. Besides…
In Chip War’s tracking of this strategically important sector’s development over six decades, the vital role played by Taiwan’s TSMC stands out. Taiwan – and more specifically the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. or TSMC – holds center stage in Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology, author Chris Miller’s skillful narrative of…
Debate continues over the merits of creating a government-run investment fund for Taiwan. Taiwan’s foreign exchange reserves came to US$564.8 billion as of the end of June, reportedly the world’s sixth-largest forex holdings after China, Japan, Switzerland, India, and Russia. In 2020, when those reserves totaled a “mere” US$480 billion, AmCham’s Taiwan White Paper encouraged…
The agreement concluded by the U.S. and Taiwan is due to bring both economic and strategic benefits. Finalized in May and signed in June, the first agreement under the 21st-Century Initiative on U.S.-Taiwan Trade has now been passed by the U.S. Congress and reviewed by Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan. The relevant government agencies on both sides…
Keeping USTR informed regarding AmCham committee positions. One of AmCham Taiwan’s major roles is to help communicate Chamber members’ views – through their respective industry committees – to the relevant authorities in both the Taiwan and U.S. governments. That responsibility is carried out not only by means of the annual Taiwan White Paper, but also…
