Local government heads in central Taiwan proposed on Saturday that a free-trade zone be set up at Taichung Harbor in Taichung County to attract foreign investment.
The proposal was made at a regular meeting of the local leaders in response to a request by Japanese trading enterprise Itochu, Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) said.
Itochu’s representative in Taiwan said it hoped authorities would establish a free-trade zone in central Taiwan as a convenient investment hub, Hu said.
Itochu deals in textiles, machinery, information and communications, metals, oil and other energy sources, general merchandise, chemicals and foods. It has 17 domestic and 139 overseas offices.
Hu said that Itochu had invested heavily in China and that a free-trade zone in Taiwan would help it cut logistics costs between China and Japan, while creating new business opportunities for central Taiwan and benefiting all three countries, Hu said.
He said the newly developed Central Taiwan Science Park and cross-strait weekend charter flights launched in July had prompted Itochu’s interest in central Taiwan.
Lai Ying-hsi (賴英錫), director-general of Taichung County’s Department of Construction, said that Taichung Harbor would be a good free-trade location, given its size and direct access to shipping routes.
Investors could also use Taichung Airport, which is near the port and located within Taichung County, Lai said.
Changhua County Commissioner Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源) said many foreign enterprises might hesitate to invest in a free-trade zone, as regulations stipulate that at least 5 percent of a foreign company’s workers must be Aboriginal to qualify.
Cho said the central government should consider changing the rule to create an investment environment more favorable to foreign enterprises.
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
RSS