Vice President Annette Lu (
The Southern Think Tank is comprised of more than 100 members from southern colleges and universities who hope to study public policy and provide suggestions to the government.
Lu said that the government has long focused its attention on northern Taiwan and has paid less attention to the south. She said she hoped that the new think tank will herald a trend to help give a voice to the people in the south of the country.
She also said she hoped the think tank would have a global view and help the government to solve political, social, economic and cultural problems, as well as serving a role to reshape the "Taiwan spirit."
Lu later attended a seminar given by the Export Processing Zone Administration during which she praised the performance of the administration and urged manufacturers to keep their hearts, roots and money in Taiwan "for the love of their home."
The seminar on globalization and marketing was presided over by Joseph Chou (周嚴), the zone administration director-general.
Chou said that the major direction of the export-processing zone is globalization and world marketing to let foreign manufacturers learn that Taiwan's business environment is good and that Taiwan's superior labor and industrial experience can be applied to developing countries.
Chou said that Taiwan is now considering using parts and components produced more cheaply in other countries to produce high value-added products for distribution through the offshore transshipment center.
Taiwan will also help manufacturers establish an international marketing network to market their products under their own brand names, Chou added.
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