Minister of Economic Affairs Yiin Chii-ming (尹啟銘) will lead a team to visit 20 companies located in major cities on the US west coast and hold three investment conferences in Los Angeles, Seattle and the Silicon Valley from today to Sept. 14 to encourage companies to invest in Taiwan.
The trip aims to foster cooperation between the two countries in promising areas such as information and communications technology, display technology, machinery equipment, the solar energy industry and the venture capital industry.
When asked about the list of companies that Yiin will visit, Berton Chiu (邱柏青), director general of the Department of Investment Services, was noncommittal yesterday, but said Yiin would visit Applied Materials Inc — the world’s largest maker of machinery that produces computer chips — headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
The US is Taiwan’s most important source for foreign investment and technology, the Investment Commission said. From 1952 until the end of July, there were 3,795 investment applications filed by US companies, with total investment of US$19.32 billion, it said.
Major investment categories are electrical and electronic equipment and chemical manufacturing. In recent years, investment in financial and insurance services has also been on the rise.
In related news, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) will hold the 2008 Taiwan Business Alliance Conference at the Taipei International Convention Center on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7, with more than 600 executives or representatives from more than 25 countries scheduled to attend.
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