We’re Hiring: Management Strategy Associate

Position Summary

The American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham) is looking for a contract-based Management Strategy Associate who can research, evaluate performance, identify areas for improvement, while developing well thought-out strategies and clear execution plans presentable to all stakeholders. The primary role of the candidate will be to analyze AmCham’s existing procedures as well exploring potential growth areas. In this position, the candidate will work closely with directors and other leaders throughout AmCham to address challenges and implement process enhancements that align with AmCham’s objectives. The expertise and guidance of the candidate will play a pivotal role in streamlining operations and facilitating AmCham’s ongoing success. The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented professional with strong analytical abilities and a passion for driving organizational improvement. Join AmCham’s team and contribute to collective efforts in achieving the Chamber’s vision.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Strategic Thinking – Taking ideas and developing them into clear strategies with execution plans that can be presented to key decisionmakers
  • Understanding internal and external problems to be solved and developing solutions.
  • Gathering relevant information and data through research
  • Compiling reports, creating, and giving presentations
  • Meet with decision-makers and garner support.
  • Developing and making standard operating procedures to key working projects of each department

Requirements

  • High proficiency in both verbal and written English and Mandarin is essential.
  • Proven work experience as a management consultant, research fellow, corporate strategist, or similar role
  • Highly motivated, committed, and flexible when dealing with changing priorities and strict deadlines.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Experience working with different departments throughout an organization.
  • Impeccable ethics

Desired qualifications

  • 1-3 years of experience in a top-tier management consulting firm or similar corporate function
  • Familiarity with non-profit organizations and operations
  • Comfortable with uncertainty and fast-paced working environments
  • Previous track-record of managing a team and fundraising.

Period

On a contract basis for six to twelve months.

Remuneration

In line with relevant experience.

Apply

Please send your resume to Hannah Wu at [email protected].

2023 Annual General Meeting – Record Membership and Important Milestones Celebrated

AmCham Taiwan held its Annual General Meeting on November 21 at the Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel. A record number of members gathered to vote for new members of the Board of Governors & Supervisors and decide on other items brought to the meeting. Members were especially honored to be joined by the founder of TSMC, Dr. Morris Chang, as this year’s keynote speaker.

Chairperson Shih opens the 2023 Annual General Meeting.

Opening Remarks

AmCham Chairperson Vincent Shih opened the event, remarking on the year’s significant milestones in Taiwan-U.S. economic and trade cooperation achieved during the previous week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting. These included the resumption of the Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue (EPPD), advancement of a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, commitment to accelerating the schedule for the second-stage negotiations of the Taiwan-U.S. Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and promoting cooperation to include third-party countries – all issues of longstanding concern for the Chamber.

The U.S. government has also reaffirmed its support for Taiwan, he said, adding that this year has seen advancements such as the passing of the Taiwan Fellowship Act that help forge a shared vision for cooperative growth. Despite global headwinds and geopolitical challenges, Taiwan has outpaced its competitors in the region and as members reported in the Chamber’s Business Climate Survey, remain confident in Taiwan’s economic fundamentals going forward.

Dr. Morris Chang addresses AGM attendees.

Keynote by Dr. Morris Chang

Guests were treated to keynote remarks by the founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., who shared his early experiences interacting with Taiwan during his time as Global Vice President at Texas Instruments in the 1960s, including discussions with then Minister of Economic Affairs Li Kwoh-ting, the ‘father’ of Taiwan’s economic miracle. Dr. Chang said that Li worked tirelessly to overcome intellectual property rights and land use challenges in establishing the factory, which finally allowed Texas Instruments to successfully take root in Taiwan. Dr. Chang said that Taiwan has excellent talent and welcomes companies to set up here, ushering in an era of prosperity for Taiwan. He said that this initial experience of American investment was an important milestone in Taiwan’s economic development. AGM attendees found the speech interesting and insightful, and often laughed at Dr. Chang’s recollection of amusing details from his youth.

Thanking the Board

After guests were served lunch, Chairperson Shih returned to thank the members of the current Board of Governors & Supervisors for their efforts over the past year. He noted that this was also the end of his term as Chairperson, and said that one of his personal highlights of the year was helping to find AmCham’s new President, Patrick P. Lin. Shih was then joined on stage by Lin, who thanked Shih for his leadership and support over the first 100 days of his tenure. Lin then introduced the fourteen candidates for governor and four candidates for supervisor.

 

AmCham President Patrick P. Lin addresses the AGM.

State of the Chamber

After thanking the candidates for their interest and commitment to the Chamber, Lin provided an overview of the highlights of 2023 and a preview of 2024. In 2023, the Chamber set some new membership records – 1,195 individuals, 580 member accounts –  as well as stable revenue and healthy reserves. AmCham also welcomed 180 individuals and 93 companies as members and hosted record numbers at its signature events, Hsieh Nien Fan, the AGM, and the American Ball.

In 2023 concerted effort has been made by the Chamber to embed ESG principles across the Chamber’s work via a steering group led by Regent Taipei Chairman Steven Pan. Lin highlighted that this has included visits to member companies, walking in Taiwan LGBT Pride for the first time, as well as the topic for 2023’s NextGen program. AmCham is already planning more ESG-themed activities in 2024, including cooperating with the American Institute in Taiwan on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

Through the launch of AmCham’s Executive Sweet podcast, AmCham’s content is now available through more channels. Readership of TOPICS also grew in 2023, up 60% in the first ten months of the year.

Lin then shared with members AmCham’s advocacy achievements and various measures to further the interests of its member companies. These achievements included progress on the items in the 2023 Taiwan White Paper Messages to Washington, as well as movement on issues raised with the Taiwan government. In 2023’s Business Climate Survey, 88% of members reported that they plan to maintain or increase their investment in 2023, with Lin asking them to make the same commitment in 2024!

Election Results

AmCham Taiwan conveys its sincere gratitude to all the voting members who attended and offered their support at the AGM. With your help, we reached a quorum in line with our legal obligations and held a successful election.

Chairperson Vincent Shih casts his vote at the 2023 Annual General Meeting.

The Board page on our website will be updated in January when the new Board assumes its duties. The results of the 2023 Board Elections are as follows:

2024-2025 Governors (Serving a two-year term, beginning January 1, 2024):

Shelley Chia, Deloitte & Touche
John Lee, Merck Ltd. Taiwan
Steven Pan, Regent Taipei
Vincent Shih, Microsoft Taiwan Corp.
Gwenyth Wang-Reeves, General Electric International Inc., Taiwan Branch
Andrea Wu, Agility Strategic Consulting, Ltd.

1st Alternate: ST Liew, Qualcomm Communication Technologies, Ltd.
2nd Alternate: CW Chin, Applied Materials Taiwan
3rd Alternate: Seraphim Ma, Baker McKenzie

2024 Supervisors (Serving a one-year term, beginning January 1, 2024)

Cindy Chen, Adecco Personnel Co., Ltd.
Max Chen, Taiwan Facebook Limited (Meta)
Fran Milnes, Novartis (Taiwan) Co., Ltd.

1st Alternate: Andrew Ho, Corning Display Technologies Taiwan

Congratulations to the winning candidates, and heartfelt thanks to all the candidates that put themselves forward for the election.

2023 American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan Board of Governors & Supervisors Election Results

We are pleased to announce the results of the 2023 Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. The election results were compiled by Deloitte & Touche. The elected Governors and Supervisors are listed in alphabetical order.

2024-2025 Governors (Serving a two-year term, beginning January 1, 2024)

Shelley Chia, Deloitte & Touche
John Lee, Merck Ltd. Taiwan
Steven Pan, Regent Taipei
Vincent Shih, Microsoft Taiwan Corp.
Gwenyth Wang-Reeves, General Electric International Inc., Taiwan Branch
Andrea Wu, Agility Strategic Consulting, Ltd.

1st Alternate: ST Liew, Qualcomm Communication Technologies, Ltd.
2nd Alternate: CW Chin, Applied Materials Taiwan
3rd Alternate: Seraphim Ma, Baker McKenzie

2024 Supervisors (Serving a one-year term, beginning January 1, 2024)

Cindy Chen, Adecco Personnel Co., Ltd.
Max Chen, Taiwan Facebook Limited (Meta)
Fran Milnes, Novartis (Taiwan) Co., Ltd.

1st Alternate: Andrew Ho, Corning Display Technologies Taiwan

All other business items brought to the Annual General Meeting were approved.

Thank you to all the candidates for office. Congratulations to the new Governors and Supervisors!

2022 Annual General Meeting – Another Record Year

AmCham Taiwan held its Annual General Meeting on November 29 at the Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel. Members gathered to vote for new members of the Board of Governors & Supervisors and decide on other items brought to the meeting. More than 240 AmCham Taiwan members and guests, the most ever, attended the event, including chief executives and senior management from a wide range of sectors.

Chairperson Vincent Shih opens the AGM, thanking the current Board and Board election candidates.

Opening Remarks

AmCham Chairperson Vincent Shih opened the event, remarking on the eventful and challenging year brought by the ongoing pandemic and regional challenges. Shih thanked the AmCham community for its support in 2022 and noted that investments in Taiwan continue to increase in both size and value. The Taiwan government has continued to utilize AmCham as a valuable platform for industry insight and the betterment of business policy, while giving serious consideration to members’ needs and recommendations, Shih noted.

The U.S. government has also reaffirmed its support for Taiwan, he said, adding that this year has seen advancements such as the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and the proposed Taiwan Fellowship Act help forge a shared vision for cooperative growth. Despite global headwinds and regional tensions, Taiwan has outpaced its competitors in the region and, a trend that economists agree will likely continue in 2023.

“Taiwan’s success is AmCham’s success,” Shih said, adding that this year’s AGM was held with a record-high membership level. “In fact, our growth rate this year outperformed Taiwan’s.”

AIT Director Oudkirk address AGM attendees.

Keynote by AIT Director Oudkirk

Guests were treated to keynote remarks by American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Sandra Oudkirk, who emphasized the unique relationship between the United States and Taiwan, and the work that AmCham Taiwan does to support that relationship.

Director Oudkirk highlighted some of the economic ties between the U.S. and Taiwan, including in the technology sphere. She told the audience that after attending the AGM, she was heading to the United States to participate in Taiwan semiconductor company GlobalWafer’s groundbreaking ceremony on a new US$5 billion wafer factory in Texas. Director Oudkirk noted this was an example of the close economic relationship between the two parties.

AmCham President Andrew Wylegala delivers an update on the Chamber.

State of the Chamber

After guests were served lunch, AmCham Taiwan President Andrew Wylegala provided an overview of the past year and a preview of 2023. In 2022, the Chamber set some new records, one for number of members (1,150 individuals, 560 member accounts), and one for revenue, at NT$55 million.

Wylegala shared with members AmCham’s advocacy achievements and various measures to further the interests of its member companies. These achievements included AmCham’s influence in advancing Taiwan’s visa normalization and border reopening, the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, and the semiconductor industry’s development.

Wylegala summarized that 2022 was a year of two halves. During the first half of the year, the Chamber ran its annual Business Climate Survey and hosted government officials and guests at the Hsieh Nien Fan. However, most other events remained online or scaled back due to pandemic-related restrictions.

In the second half of the year things looked a bit different – the Chamber welcomed the return of in-person visits from US officials and think tanks, in-person committee meetings, and other events returned, and the Chamber ran a flash survey on members’ reactions to increased cross-Strait tensions. Wylegala closed his remarks by highlighting some of the Chamber’s planned projects for 2023, which include a monthly podcast.

Election Results

AmCham Taiwan conveys its sincere gratitude to all the voting members who attended and offered their support at the AGM. With your help, we reached a quorum in line with our legal obligations and held a successful election.

Chairperson Vincent Shih casts his vote at the 2022 Annual General Meeting.

The Board page on our website will be updated in January when the new Board assumes its duties. The results of the 2022 Board Elections are as follows:

2023-2024 Governors (Serving a two-year term, beginning January 1, 2023):

Anita Chen of Google Taiwan
Cynthia Chyn of Amazon Web Services Taiwan
Michael Huang of The Bank of New York Mellon Taipei Branch
Dan Silver of Boston Scientific International B.V.- Taiwan Branch
Cellina Yeh of Pfizer Limited

1st Alternate: Jeffrey Tung of 3M Taiwan Ltd.
2nd Alternate: Jo-Fan Yu of Baker McKenzie
3rd Alternate: Liew Sze Thai of Qualcomm Communication Technologies, Ltd

2023 Supervisors (Serving a one-year term, beginning January 1, 2023):

Claudio Longo of AstraZeneca Taiwan Ltd.
Gwen Wang Reeves of General Electric International Inc
Miyuki Tanaka of Johnson & Johnson Taiwan Ltd.

1st Alternate: Paulus Mok of Citibank Taiwan Ltd.
2nd Alternate: Andrew Ho of Corning Display Technologies Taiwan

Congratulations to the winning candidates, and heartfelt thanks to all the candidates that put themselves forward for the election.

2022 Annual General Meeting and Board of Governors & Supervisors Election Results

AmCham Taiwan is pleased to announce the results of the 2022 Annual General Meeting held Tuesday, November 29, 2022. The election results were compiled by Deloitte & Touche. The elected Governors and Supervisors are listed in alphabetical order.

2023-2024 Governors (Serving a two-year term, beginning January 1, 2023):

Anita Chen of Google Taiwan
Cynthia Chyn of Amazon Web Services Taiwan
Michael Huang of The Bank of New York Mellon Taipei Branch
Dan Silver of Boston Scientific International B.V.- Taiwan Branch
Cellina Yeh of Pfizer Limited

1st Alternate: Jeffrey Tung of 3M Taiwan Ltd.
2nd Alternate: Jo-Fan Yu of Baker McKenzie
3rd Alternate: Liew Sze Thai of Qualcomm Communication Technologies, Ltd

2023 Supervisors (Serving a one-year term, beginning January 1, 2023):

Claudio Longo of AstraZeneca Taiwan Ltd.
Miyuki Tanaka of Johnson & Johnson Taiwan Ltd.
Gwen Wang Reeves of General Electric International Inc

1st Alternate: Paulus Mok of Citibank Taiwan Ltd.
2nd Alternate: Andrew Ho of Corning Display Technologies Taiwan

All other business items brought to the Annual General Meeting were approved.

Thank you to all the candidates for office.

Congratulations to the new Governors and Supervisors!

Improving the Health of Taiwan’s Aging Population

AmCham Taiwan’s 2021 Healthy Aging Forum was held on November 24 at the W Hotel Taipei, drawing an audience of 128 members and their guests. The event, which featured speakers and panelists from government, academia, and industry, gave stage to a diverse range of viewpoints on the impact of Taiwan’s aging population and potential healthcare solutions.

This year’s forum featured three keynote speakers: Vice President Lai Ching-te, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Sandra Oudkirk, and Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-Liang.

Vice President Lai expressed his and President Tsai Ing-wen’s gratitude to the U.S. for its support of Taiwan and for donating much-needed COVID-19 vaccines to the island. Highlighting the significance of the event’s topics, Lai stated that national health policies and the use of emerging technology are vital to promoting healthy aging.

In her speech, Director Oudkirk noted the longstanding partnership between the U.S. and Taiwan on healthcare. She also underscored the importance of maintaining the financial stability of Taiwan’s healthcare system, as well as utilizing public-private partnerships (PPP) to address challenges related to an aging society.

Next, Deputy Minister Shih discussed methods to develop Taiwan’s capacity to manage the aging population and the need for government policies over the next decade to address aging and offer support for age-friendly communities.

Deputy Director-General of the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) under the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) Chia Shu-li presented the HPA’s many programs and collaborations that promote age-friendly communities and active aging in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

The next speaker, Taiwanese Osteoporosis Association Chairperson Dr. Hwang Jawl-shan, emphasized that more extensive screening programs for bone mass density to identify moderate to high risk for osteoporotic fractures, as well as preventive osteoporotic fracture care, are essential to improving quality of life for the elderly.

This year’s Healthy Aging Forum featured two panel discussions moderated by Taipei Veterans General Hospital Superintendent Dr. Huey-Herng Sheu and Academia Sinica Academician Dr. Chen Pei-Jer, respectively. Panelists included HPA Deputy Director-General Chia Shu-li, National Health Insurance Administration Director-General Lee Po-Chang, Taiwanese Osteoporosis Association Chairperson Dr. Hwang Jawl-shan, Amgen Taiwan General Manager Joyce Lee, E-Dah Hospital Attending Physician Dr. Hsu Yao-Chun, Taiwan Association for the Study of the Liver Chief Executive, Dr. Lin Jaw-Town of China Medical University Hospital, and Formosa Cancer Foundation Vice President Tsai Li-Jiuan.

Topics explored included how to promote healthy aging through preventive screening, standardized evaluations, and health awareness promotion. Panelists also discussed the use of big and marginal data and public-private partnerships in creating a more effective strategy to prepare for a super-aged society, which Taiwan is projected to become by 2025.

Following remarks by Chen Pei-Jer, Hsu Yao-Chun gave a presentation on how Taiwan will achieve the WHO’s goal of eradicating the hepatitis B virus (HBV). He urged the government to quickly develop a national HBV policy to support Taiwan’s efforts to achieve the WHO’s goals and protect HBV patients in Taiwan.

Cigna Taiwan CEO and AmCham Governor Tim Shields introduced the final speaker, FarHugs CEO Cary Hsieh, who spoke about the importance of including mental health in the concept of healthy aging. Hsieh stressed the need for access to mental health services and discussed the overlap between digital technology and mental health care.

In closing remarks, AmCham President Andrew Wylegala expressed his gratitude to the speakers and participants on behalf of the Chamber and noted that the connections made during the event could foster new projects and partnerships to promote healthy aging.

 

Click to see the detailed Mandarin summary about this event – 第三屆健康樂齡論壇 – 活動紀實

 

The forum’s platinum sponsors were Amgen and Gilead. Cigna was the gold sponsor.

2021 Annual General Meeting and Board of Governors & Supervisors Election Result

AmCham is pleased to announce the results of the 2021 Virtual Annual General Meeting held Tuesday, November 16, 2021. The election results were compiled by Deloitte & Touche. The elected Governors and Supervisors are listed in alphabetical order.

2022-2023 Governors (Serving a two-year term, beginning January 1, 2022):

2022 Governors (Serving a one-year term, beginning January 1, 2022)

 

 

2022 Supervisors (Serving a one-year term, beginning January 1, 2022):

 

Other Business Items Brought to the Annual General Meetings were all approved.

Congratulations to the newly elected Governors and Supervisors!

Early Bird Offer – Join AmCham Taiwan’s Membership Directory

AmCham Taiwan’s Membership Directory is available online for our members and the public. Your company information is accessible to more people than ever. To help you make the most out of the Membership Directory, please review some of the features and packages that we offer:

美國商會線上會員名錄是一個強大的網路平台,提供商會的會員及群眾相互聯繫,並讓公司品牌頁面能更有效的曝光以觸及更多的受眾。爲了協助您提高品牌知名度,歡迎參考我們所提供的功能與方案:

 

Premium Listing:

Early Bird Price NT$12,000 (Regular Price: NT$15,000) SAVE $3,000!

  • Higher ranking in the industry search results – When users search the system by industry, companies with a Premium listing come up at the top of the page.
  • Customize your company page design – Embed rich media or multimedia content (banner or video) in the space above the company logo on your company’s profile page.
  • All other features included in the Expanded Listing (see below)

早鳥價NT$12,000(原價: NT$15,000)現省$3,000!

  • 在同產業中優先顯示您,增加曝光度:當使用者以產業別搜尋名錄時,有購買Premium Listing的會員公司會優先出現在檢索頁面最上方的位置。
  • 客製化公司的頁面設計:您可以自由運用公司頁面的上方空間,嵌入公司宣傳影片或專屬形象廣告等。
  • 享有Expanded Listing所有的福利。

 

Expanded Listing:

Early Bird Price NT$9,000 (Regular Price: NT$9,500)

  • Feature your company logo
  • Create a company profile – Introduce products and services (up to 700 words) using an easy-to-use content editor.
  • Marketing tools that provide greater accessibility – Build your brand and gain visibility by updating your profile and company information whenever there are new developments to include.

早鳥價NT$9,000(原價: NT$9,500)

  • 清晰的公司LOGO
  • 建立公司宣傳簡介:透過簡易的編輯平台介紹宣傳公司產品與服務(至多700字)。
  • 有效又便利的行銷工具:隨時隨地皆可更新公司資訊與簡介,打造您的公司品牌,提升吸睛度。

To complete your order with an Early Bird Price, please submit a signed order form to [email protected] before November 18, 2021. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

請在2021/11/18前填寫訂單並回傳至[email protected],以享有早鳥優惠。如有任何問題,歡迎隨時與我們聯繫。

 

Building Momentum for a Taiwan-U.S. BTA

The current unprecedented opportunities for business and technological cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. was the theme of a Taiwan-U.S. Business Roundtable this morning co-organized by the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce, Taiwan (CNAIC) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. The event was held at the Palais de Chine Hotel.

In his opening remarks, CNAIC Chairman Por-Fong Lin recalled that a year ago this month the two sponsoring organizations issued a joint statement calling on the American and Taiwan governments to begin negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement (BTA). He noted that subsequent developments have improved the environment for taking that step and increased its importance.

Echoing that sentiment, AmCham Chairman CW Chin referred to the current situation as a “special moment in the relationship” between the two countries. The challenges presented by the COVID pandemic only brought them closer together, with Taiwan donating some 10 million surgical masks to the U.S. and the U.S. helping to provide Taiwan with much needed vaccines.

Another positive development – recent revival of the bilateral TIFA process for trade and investment negotiations after a five-year hiatus – was cited by Jen-Ni Yang, Deputy Trade Representative of Taiwan’s Office of Trade Negotiations. Bureau of Foreign Trade Director General Cynthia Kiang stressed the increasingly close cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. in helping maintain strong and stable supply chains.

A keynote speech by Professor Philip Yang of National Taiwan University, a former Deputy Secretary General of Taiwan’s National Security Council, discussed other favorable trends, including signs that as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy the U.S. is paying greater attention to Taiwan’s strategic value. At the same time, he noted pressures arising from the growing U.S.-China economic competition, especially in the technology sphere.

In a roundtable discussion moderated by Regent Taipei Executive Chairman Steven Pan, business executives from both domestic and multinational companies contributed their expertise regarding the industries regarded as having the greatest potential for collaboration between U.S. and Taiwan companies – semiconductors and other ICT/5G-related products, medical technology and other healthcare items, electric vehicles (EV), and the energy and chemical sectors.

Pan summarized the panel’s key recommendations as follows:

  • The Taiwan and U.S. governments should regularly coordinate regarding industrial policy and promote strategic public-private partnerships on critical supply chains for the ICT 5G, medical technology, and EV sectors.
  • U.S. companies should leverage Taiwan’s sophisticated manufacturing platform to create a regional technology hub for Asia.
  • Taiwan and the U.S. should take advantage of the Taiwanese talent pool in both Taiwan and the U.S. in support of a manufacturing renaissance.

The semiconductor field is considered particularly promising for U.S.-Taiwan cooperation because of the complementary nature of the industries on the two sides, said John Chen, Senior Director of the Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC) of the Institute for Information Industry. Taiwan is strong in the foundry and packing/testing segments, while the U.S. historically dominates the design and marketing functions.

A session moderated by Peter Huang, Secretary General of the Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei, featured a special presentation by AmCham Taiwan President Andrew Wylegala introducing the concept of a Taiwan Commercial Initiative (TCI). The Initiative would seek to promote a series of concrete steps that hopefully would lead to a BTA.

A corollary initiative was set out by former AmCham Chairman and President Leo Seewald, who advocated conclusion of a bilateral tax agreement between Taiwan and the U.S. to increase certainty for business, boost investment, and reduce tax disputes.

Closing remarks by the two business organizations emphasized their commitment to continue working together to achieve the goal of upgrading bilateral economic relations through a BTA.

持續推動美台雙邊貿易協定

適逢臺美商業與科技領域合作前所未有的時機點,中華民國工商協進會與臺灣美國商會於臺北君品酒店舉辦「臺美企業圓桌論壇」,探討如何持續強化臺美間的經貿關係。

工商協進會林伯豐理事長於開幕致詞時說,想起去年此時,兩個單位發表共同聲明,呼籲美國和台灣政府開始就雙邊貿易協定(BTA)進行談判。他指出,發出聲明後,臺美關係朝著更好的方向發展,顯示聯合聲明的重要性。

呼應林理事長的談話,美國商會金奇偉會長表示,目前臺美關係正處在一個特殊的時刻。在COVID-19疫情中,臺灣多次捐助醫療口罩至美國,美國也提供疫苗支援,疫情反而促使兩國互動更為緊密。

行政院貿易談判辦公室副總談判代表楊珍妮表示,暫停五年的美國台灣貿易暨投資架構協定(TIFA)於日前重起談判,也代表臺美關係的一項正面發展。國貿局江文若局長強調,逐漸緊密的臺美合作關係,有助於維持供應練的穩定與韌性。

國家安全委員會前副秘書長、台灣大學教授楊永明在專題演講中提到,美國更加重視台灣在印太架構下的戰略價值,以及美中經濟競爭下,科技與技術領域帶給臺灣的壓力,等值得關注的雙邊關係正向發展趨勢。

由晶華酒店集團潘思亮董事長主持的圓桌討論中,來自國內和跨國公司的高階經理人交流,發表他們認為美臺合作下最有發展潛能領域的看法,像是半導體、資通訊、5G、醫療科技、電動車、能源與化學等產業。

潘思亮董事長總結會議的三大重點:

  • 台灣與美國政府應定期合作,針對資通訊、5G、醫療科技及電動車等關鍵產業,商討政策,並促進公私部門策略聯盟。
  • 美國企業應善用台灣成熟的製造產業,作為亞洲地區的科技中心。
  • 台灣與美國雙邊應善用台灣人才,以活化製造產業。

資訊工業策進會陳子昂資深總監表示,基於臺美雙邊產業的互補性,半導體為最有合作潛力的領域。臺灣擅長代工、包裝與測試,美國在設計與市場開發上則具有長期優勢。

臺北市進出口公會秘書長黃文榮在論壇中指出,希望以簽訂臺美雙邊貿易協定為目標,持續推動臺美企業交流與合作。美國商會執行長魏立安則在簡報中介紹商會於今年提出的臺灣商業計畫,希望跨大公私部門合作並透過具體步驟促成臺美雙邊貿易協定。

美國商會前會長李豪指出,洽簽臺美租稅協定將有助於建立更友善的商業環境,降低經營的不確定性、提升投資與減少稅務爭議。

工商協進會與美國商會在閉幕致詞時表示,未來雙方將持續合作,共同努力促成臺美雙邊貿易協定。

In Memoriam, Dr. E.F. Einhorn (1918-2021)

Longtime AmCham Taiwan member, Ephraim Ferdinand Einhorn died September 15, 2021 — three days after his 103rd birthday — in National Taiwan University Hospital after an extended illness. He will be buried in Israel.

Born in Vienna, Einhorn was a naturalized American citizen who had lived in Taiwan since 1975. He had many contacts in Eastern Europe and over the years assisted Taiwan in developing connections with such countries as Poland and Lithuania. At times his AmCham membership was held in the name of the Polish Chamber of Commerce. He was also president of the Taipei-based World Patent Trading Co. and, trained as a Rabbi, he was the spiritual leader of the Taiwan Jewish Community.

In 2016, the AmCham Board of Governors presented Einhorn with a certificate as a Lifetime Honorary Member. A TOPICS article at the time introduced the man and his achievements.

 

Photo: Courtesy of Taiwan Jewish Community