The China External Trade Devel-opment Council (CETRA) will set up a foothold in Shanghai next year to facilitate penetration of the vast Chinese market and is setting the market high on its promotion agenda, CETRA Chairman Shea Jia-dong (
"In view of the significant growth in China, CETRA will establish a foothold in Shanghai next year and will seek permission to formally open a representative office there," Shea said at a year-end news conference.
Taiwan and China have yet to reach an agreement on allowing their quasi-official trade promotion organizations to open representative offices in each other's territories, but CETRA has managed to set up a foothold in Beijing.
Shea said CETRA will endeavor to expand the functions of its Beijing foothold and open a new one in Shanghai in the new year to further expand Taiwan's share of the China market.
Over the past year, Shea said, Taiwan's exports to North America, Europe and Japan all declined, while its exports to Asia, excluding Japan, registered a significant gain.
In the first 11 months of 2002, sales to other Asian countries and areas increased 14.3 percent from the year-earlier level. Exports to China alone posted a 104.5 percent gain.
As China has emerged as one of Taiwan's largest export outlets, CETRA has decided to list China as a priority market to receive intensive promotion, Shea said.
"One of CETRA's promotional programs is to help Taiwan companies establish their own brands or labels in the China market and help them promote brand awareness there," Shea said, adding that CETRA has designed special promotional programs for various industries based on China's unique market characteristics and preferences.
CETRA has also ordered its representative office in Hong Kong to step up efforts in tapping the market in the Zhujiang Delta area in Guangdong Province in southern China, Shea said.
Meanwhile, CETRA is helping local manufacturers to take part in a building materials trade fair to be held in Beijing in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games, he added.
"We are also scheduled to invite senior executives of China's Olympic committee to attend a forum to be held in Taipei in May 2003 to discuss business opportunities to be spawned by the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games," Shea said.
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