ECFA and the future of US and foreign investment in Taiwan
With an Address by Christina Liu, Minister of Taiwan's Council for Economic Planning and Development
January 31, 2011
Online registration for this event is closed. Walk-in registrations will be accepted.
Video of this event will be livestreamed online at http://www.american.com/watch/aei-livestream
In the nearly seven months since China and Taiwan signed the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), a cross-Strait free trade agreement, Taiwan's total trade has ballooned. In 2010, the island's trade volume surpassed US$500 billion for the first time, growing more than 65 percent since 2009. But while the ECFA has had an immediate effect on Taiwan's economic performance, its full and more lasting impact has likely not yet been felt. In addition to the continued growth of trade, Taiwanese officials hope there will be an infusion of foreign investment in the coming years as American and other multinational corporations look to take advantage of the opportunities that the ECFA presents. Indeed, ECFA proponents expect US companies to capitalize on Taiwan's societal, cultural, and geographic proximity to China to gain entrée to previously untapped mainland markets. Are these expectations sensible? What steps must Taiwan take to ensure it extracts maximum benefit from its new economic pact with China? How can American firms benefit from the ECFA? How will Taiwan ensure continued economic growth in the years ahead? Christina Liu, minister of Taiwan's Council for Economic Planning and Development, will address these and other questions at this AEI event.
Video of this event will be livestreamed online at http://www.american.com/watch/aei-livestream
In the nearly seven months since China and Taiwan signed the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), a cross-Strait free trade agreement, Taiwan's total trade has ballooned. In 2010, the island's trade volume surpassed US$500 billion for the first time, growing more than 65 percent since 2009. But while the ECFA has had an immediate effect on Taiwan's economic performance, its full and more lasting impact has likely not yet been felt. In addition to the continued growth of trade, Taiwanese officials hope there will be an infusion of foreign investment in the coming years as American and other multinational corporations look to take advantage of the opportunities that the ECFA presents. Indeed, ECFA proponents expect US companies to capitalize on Taiwan's societal, cultural, and geographic proximity to China to gain entrée to previously untapped mainland markets. Are these expectations sensible? What steps must Taiwan take to ensure it extracts maximum benefit from its new economic pact with China? How can American firms benefit from the ECFA? How will Taiwan ensure continued economic growth in the years ahead? Christina Liu, minister of Taiwan's Council for Economic Planning and Development, will address these and other questions at this AEI event.
