The nation's inbound and outbound investments for the first nine months of the year have seen significant growth from a year ago, according to latest statistics released by the Investment Commission yesterday.
The commission, under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, said Taiwan has secured 846 foreign direct investments worth US$2.59 billion during the January-September period.
The number of investment projects rose 10.44 percent from a year ago while the value of investment is 18.31 percent higher over the same period, the commission added.
The US investment accounted for the largest portion with 22.39 percent in value, followed by Japanese investment with 20.14 percent. By industry, electronics manufacturing took the first position with 23.85 percent in value, finance and insurance took 17.42 percent, while wholesale and retail businesses made up 7.68 percent.
The commission said increasing foreign investment reflected government efforts to attract overseas investment since holding an international business convention in October last year.
The number of confirmed and promised foreign investment projects made following the convention -- the 2003 Taiwan Business Alliance Conference -- totaled 241 worth NT$147.8 billion (US$4.36 billion) as of June, the ministry's Industrial Development and Investment Center reported last week.
The government is scheduled to hold the convention this year again on Nov. 7, with more than 400 corporate representatives from around the world already signing up for the four-day event, the center said.
Foreign investors also showed high interest in local stock markets, which accumulated net inward remittances of US$6.42 billion during the same period, the commission said, citing statistics of the Securities and Futures Commission.
As for outbound investment, the commission approved 496 investment projects worth US$2.74 billion for the first nine months, up 9.23 percent from a year earlier.
Approved investment in China has grown 47 percent to US$4.79 billion in the same period, while the figure for September alone fell to US$392 million from US$519 million a year earlier.
China-bound investments, mainly focussed on the electronics manufacturing industry, were concentrated in southeast coastal provinces including Jiangsu, Guangdong and Zhejiang, the commission said.
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