The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will seek ways to amend legislation to release additional incentives for local businesspeople to invest in countries that do not have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) said.
The ministry will also update its offices abroad about President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) new focus on bolstering the nation’s economic viability, he said.
Speaking at the annual spring banquet for diplomats on Thursday night, Ma said the global economic slump meant that the ministry had to shoulder a new mission by boosting Taiwan’s diplomatic strength as well as its economic muscle.
Ma urged the foreign ministry to help Taiwanese businesses find new opportunities abroad and fortify the nation’s economic ties with the international community.
Taiwan will also place more emphasis on offering foreign aid to countries in need, he said.
In an interview with Central News Agency, Ou said that, given the global financial crisis and the detente with China, Taiwan had to improve bilateral cooperation with other countries, especially in Southeast Asia.
To accommodate the need for more people with financial know-how, the ministry would increase training opportunities in the trade and commerce fields, and might also including questions on financial topics in its entrance examinations, he said.
The government’s foreign policy does not end with cementing ties with its existing allies, but also includes strengthening links with non-allies in the absence of official relations, he said.
He said foreign services personnel should strive to build a strong network of friends in local industry and create a lucrative investment environment in foreign countries to pique local investors’ interest after assessing the potential and risks of each country.
Currently, the ministry offers incentives for Taiwanese investors in only a few selected ally countries, Ou said, promising to find ways to amend the policy by expanding incentive programs to investments in non-ally nations.
A senior ministry official, who was speaking on the condition of anonymity, said promoting economic relations has always been a priority for the ministry and that the government could act as a matchmaker between Taiwanese businesspeople and the foreign industries to bolster trade.
“The importance of the ministry would diminish if it dealt only with political issues,” the official said. “The government does not have to spend an exorbitant amount of money. What we can do is be the conduit between Taiwanese investors and foreign businesses.”
Jasmine Huggins, the charge d’affaires for St Kitts and Nevis, said her country welcomes Taiwanese investors and, depending on the type of business, her government offers corporate tax holidays ranging from 10 to 15 years.
Huggins added that some investors could also enjoy full exemption from import duty for parts and raw materials.
Czech Republic representative Jaroslav Dolecek said his country, as well as all of Europe, welcomes Taiwanese cooperation in joint projects in various fields including science and technology.
Dolecek said his country also offers an array of tax deductions and grants for foreign investors.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS