Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) told a group of US business heavyweights on Sunday that the government of Taiwan has decided to replace its "no haste, be patient" investment policy with "active opening, effective management."
"This was a conclusion reached at the recent Economic Development Advisory Conference," said Chang, who arrived in New York Saturday for a transit stop en route to the Caribbean for his first diplomatic tour since assuming office last October.
Chang told senior US business and industry executives that Taiwan will accelerate development of its offshore banking units into a financing center for Taiwan-funded businesses in China and other countries.
The premier also said Taiwan is also endeavoring to attract multinational conglomerates to set up their regional operation headquarters in Taiwan.
Chang said Taiwan earnestly hopes that blue-chip US companies, particularly those in biotechnology and other high-tech fields, will invest in Taiwan.
Because of a global economic slowdown, the Taiwan economy is facing unprecedented severe tests and challenges, Chang said. "To seek a breakthrough to our economic woes, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) called a cross-party economic conference Aug. 24 to Aug. 26 which managed to reach 322 conclusions on Taiwan's future economic reforms and sustainable growth."
Chang said it's no easy task for 120-members from government agencies and business and academic circles to forge a consensus on so many key development issues.
"The gist of the consensus lies in the fact that all conference members agreed to remove investment barriers, improve the general investment climate, accelerate economic reforms, lower tax burden, boost economic liberalization and globalization, upgrade research and development and develop Taiwan into a high value-added manufacturing hub," Chang explained.
More importantly, all conference members agreed to re-define trade and economic relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, adopt a more liberal, open attitude toward cross-strait economic ties and play a more active role in the global economic arena, Chang said.
"The economic conference has offered a forum for politicians of different political stripes to sit down to mull many critical public issues. It offers a silver lining on the horizon -- marking the birth of a new political culture," Chang said, adding that inter-party cooperation is also expected to become Taiwan's new political asset.
Chang assured the US bankers and CEOs present that Taiwan's investment climate and political situation will greatly improve after the recent economic conference.
Taiwan's representative to the US, Chen Chien-jen (
Chang and his entourage were to leave yesterday for Saint Kitts and Nevis. They will also travel to the Commonwealth of Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada.
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