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Nation to promote convention industry

The government aims to establish Taiwan as a premier international exhibition and convention center with an eye to promoting industries such as finance, tourism and transportation, a top economic official said yesterday.

"The lack of exhibition space has been the main drawback in the nation's bid to become the center for exhibitions and conventions," Minister of Economic Affairs Steve Chen (陳瑞隆) said at the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall's (TWTC Nangang) inauguration ceremony.

"However, with the completion of TWTC Nangang, which can accommodate 2,666 booths, plus the Taipei World Trade Center [on Xinyi Road], which can house 2,200 booths, the two exhibition halls will have a total capacity of nearly 5,000 booths," he said.

"This will boost Taiwan's chances in competing with other Asian convention centers," Chen said.

"TWTC Nangang, which has a total exhibition area of 46,175m2, is twice the size of TWTC's Exhibition Hall 1 and was built at a cost of NT$3.6 billion [US$110.8 million]," said Minister of the Interior Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋), who also gave a speech at the inauguration ceremony.

In addition, the government is planning to set up a second TWTC Nangang facility at the Nangang Elementary School nearby, which will raise Nangang's exhibition capacity to about 5,000 booths, Chen said.

Chen said the Cabinet had approved a budget of NT$585 million (US$18 million) this year and next year to promote industries that are expected to benefit from the expansion of the nation's exhibition convention business.

The government estimates that NT$4 billion in business opportunities will be created within the first year of the new exhibition facility's operation, Chen said.

The 2008 Taipei International Cycle Show, which is scheduled to take place between March 13 and March 16 next year, will become the first show held at TWTC Nangang. More than 700 domestic and international manufacturers have already signed up for the cycle show, which will feature more than 2,700 booths, an 18 percent increase from this year, the exhibition organizer -- Taiwan External Trade Development Council -- said in a report on Dec. 12.

Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), who also gave a speech at the inauguration ceremony, said: "The Kaohsiung Exhibition and Convention Center will become the Cabinet's next focus following the completion of TWTC Nangang in line with the government's North-South Twin Stars Policy (南北雙星政策) to bridge the development gap between the north and the south."

But before the completion of the Mass Rapid Transit system extensions of the Brown Line (from Zhongshan Middle School to Neihu District and ending at TWTC Nangang) and Blue Line (from Kunyang to TWTC Nangang) -- which are scheduled to be completed in 2010 -- the traffic from TWTC on Xinyi Road to TWTC Nangang remains a major challenge that urgently needs to be resolved, Chen said.
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