President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said that a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) between Taiwan and the US would be mutually beneficial and help to strengthen their existing trade and business exchanges.
Tsai made the remarks when meeting with American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei chairman C.W. Chin (金奇偉) at the Presidential Office.
Tsai thanked the group for recommending that Washington expedite a trade agreement with Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
“I firmly believe that with a BTA, Taiwan and the United States would be able to capitalize on the complementarity of our industries,” she said. “Enhancing economic and trade exchanges between Taiwan and the United States would also create more business opportunities, benefiting both sides.”
The business opportunities generated by a trade deal would create a win-win scenario for Taiwan and the US, Tsai added.
Citing the signing of a memorandum of understanding on health cooperation between the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the US Department of Health and Human Services on Aug. 10, as well as the Taiwan External Trade Development Council’s Talent Circulation Alliance, she said that the Taiwan-US partnership has deepened.
Tsai said that the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei has emphasized policies to stimulate tourism and offered assistance in attracting foreign tourists, expressing the hope of continued cooperation in attracting tourists and business ventures alike to Taiwan.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the situation in Hong Kong have created an opportunity for Taiwan to become a center in Asia for international business investment and high-level asset management, she added.
Taiwan has growing allure for international investors, Tsai said, citing a report issued by US-based Business Environment Risk Intelligence, which ranked the nation as the third-best destination for investment in 2020, and the US Department of State’s Clean Network initiative, which granted Taiwan “trusted 5G” status.
The nation’s focus on the digital, information and communications technology, and biomedicine industries would turn Taiwan in a key player in the global economy and a trustworthy Asian ally of the US in the upcoming supply-chain shakeup, she said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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