The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is to set up a task force to formulate cross-strait strategies for key sectors such as LEDs, electric vehicles and logistics, in a move to help Taiwanese firms secure a place in the market across the Taiwan Strait, Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) said yesterday.
The task force will collect the advice of research institutions, professionals and industry players when formulating strategies to assist local firms in seizing business opportunities in China’s competitive landscape, he told reporters.
The Chinese government is promoting key industries by formally launching its 12th five-year plan this year and Taiwanese firms have been eager to tap that market.
Unlike past predicaments where Taiwanese firms had to make -inroads into the Chinese market by their own means, the minister said the government is now playing a greater role with the establishment of the task force.
“There must be a higher level of strategy and mindset laid out for cross-strait industrial positioning,” Shih said, adding that such a formulation could be put on the negotiation table of the Economic Cooperation Committee (ECC) — a body set up last month by Taipei and Beijing to handle the -execution of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA).
The strategic task force, led by the ministry’s Bureau of Industrial Development, will focus on select sectors including LEDs, electric vehicles and logistics.
As an example, Taiwanese hypermarket and convenience store operators are well-versed in the logistics of frozen foodstuffs — from the production, packaging and -delivery to selling to end -consumers — which is knowledge strongly sought after by Chinese firms, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, Shih also confirmed that the LCD industry is in the second wave of sectors that will open to Chinese investors.
However, he said media reports that said Chinese home electronics makers would be allowed to hold up to a “20 percent” stake in Taiwanese LCD makers were “incorrect.”
Shih declined to divulge more information by saying the proposal is being reviewed by the Executive Yuan and the final details will be made public in due course.
Taiwan only started to open the first wave of selected sectors to Chinese capital in the middle of 2009.
The ministry also said the first meeting of the ECC is confirmed for “sometime” this month, with media reporting that next Tuesday was a“likely but not definite date.” Other details are being finalized, it said.
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