Early next month, an official from the US Department of Commerce is scheduled to visit Taiwan, the highest-profile visit by a US commerce official in a decade, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a press statement yesterday.
US Department of Commerce Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sanchez is scheduled to visit Taipei from March 4 to March 6, the AIT said. Sanchez will be the highest-ranking official from the department to visit Taipei since then-undersecretary of commerce for international trade Grant Aldonas visited Taiwan in 2002, AIT spokesperson Christopher Kavanagh said.
During his stay in Taiwan, Sanchez will meet with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and other officials, as well as business leaders, the AIT said.
Sanchez will deliver a speech titled “Opening New Doors of Opportunity: The Future of the US–Taiwan Commercial Relationship” at an event organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei.
In his speech, Sanchez is expected to highlight US President Barack Obama’s National Export Initiative and the Select-USA program — both designed to strengthen economic ties with global partners — as well as outline steps to expand opportunities and advance prosperity in both countries, the chamber of commerce said on its Web site.
The AIT said Sanchez would also make a speech at the ongoing My Dream Vacation USA — Great Outdoors event, co-hosted by the commercial section of the AIT and the Taiwan Visit USA Committee, which promotes tourism to the US and features a different theme each quarter throughout the year.
Sanchez heads the department’s International Trade Administration, whose mission it is to promote fair trade in the global economy; create jobs and economic growth by promoting US companies and products; strengthen US competitiveness across all industries; address market access and compliance issues; administer US trade laws; and undertake a range of trade promotion and trade advocacy efforts, the AIT said.
Obama’s National Export Initiative aims to double US exports by the end of 2014.
In a speech to the local business community in Taipei in September last year, US Assistant Secretary of Commerce Suresh Kumar said that the US wants to see Taiwan play a leading role in its efforts to increase US exports as the Obama administration seeks to fulfill its commitment of opening more markets.
When asked if the US beef issue would be a main topic of discussion during Sanchez’s visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the commerce department generally deals with export expansion and tourism, while the US beef issue is being handled by the Office of the US Trade Representative.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
The nation’s usually punctual high-speed rail system yesterday was hit by major disruptions after all scheduled services were canceled and replaced with three hourly trains offering only non-reserved seating, affecting more than 200,000 passengers. Preliminary findings indicate the disruption was caused by a faulty power module in a track switch control cabinet, Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said, adding that as a full system inspection could only be conducted after operations end for the day, a decision on whether normal service would resume today would be announced before the first train departs. During a routine inspection early yesterday, a switch signal abnormality
RSS