K.C Liu: “The best place is right next door.”

10-04-10 09:06　source: CXMEE

　　K.C Liu, who is attending CXMEE in his capacity as director-general of the Taipei Importers and Exporters Association (TIEA), stated that importers and exporters on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are looking forward to the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA).
 
The Cross-Straits Investment and Trade Matchmaking Symposium, of which TIEA is a co-organizer, is now in its fourth year. K.C Liu headed a delegation to the inaugural symposium back in 1997. He became TIEA’s director-general last June. He has led a 25-member delegation to the year’s CXMEE which represents more than 100 enterprises in Taiwan’s machinery, electronics, photonics, and auto parts and components industries.  
 
Liu told the press that since last May, Taiwan enterprises have been paying more attention to the western coast of the Taiwan Straits and making more fact-finding visits to Fujian. Liu stated that Taiwan enterprises’ manufacturing facilities and production scale are on a par with those on Taiwan Island.
 
Liu expressed his hope that Taiwan manufacturers will take full advantage of CXMEE to tap into the market and grow in Xiamen and in the West Taiwan Straits Economic Zone.
 
Before joining TIEA, Liu was a “lawmaker” in Taiwan for two terms and director-general of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association. He has sharp insights in the cooperation between mainland and Taiwan enterprises.
 
“All nations around the world are keen to export their products to Taiwan, and Taiwan is also eager to tap into the world market. However, labor shortages have compelled Taiwan enterprises to set up manufacturing facilities in the mainland. With the strong economic and trade ties across the Taiwan Straits, Taiwan is set to become an ‘IT empire’ in global sales.”
 
According to Liu, the mutual dependence of the mainland and Taiwan has increased in the wake of the global financial crisis. “Since the outbreak of the financial tsunami, the global market has been shrinking, but the trade between Taiwan and the mainland still accounts for more than 40 percent of Taiwan’s total trade, though the absolute numbers have dropped. I’ve found that since the opening of the ‘mini-three links’, the best place is right next door.”
 
Due to the mutual dependence in trade, the support for ECFA has been surging on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. “It’s a rising trend for different economies to have some trade arrangement. ECFA is set to further enhance the economic and trade ties across the Taiwan Straits, and we’re confident about the main negotiators.”