President Tsai Ing-wen attended the 2019 American Chamber of Commerce Taipei (AmCham) Annual General Meeting at noon on Nov. 19 and outlined the government’s goal of working towards a new and improved version of the Taiwanese economic development model to transform Taiwan into Asia's high-end manufacturing and R&D center.

President Tsai pointed out that in August, the government implemented a Patent Linkage System that exemplifies Taiwan’s commitment to intellectual property protection and supporting research and innovation. President Tsai also mentioned that her administration has been working on improving Taiwan's regulatory environment across the board, including revising outdated regulations to allow greater flexibility in business management and efficient use of workforce.

The administration has adjusted a number of regulations to make it easier for foreign talent to live and work in Taiwan as well as relaxed regulations on work hours for foreign professionals in supervisory and technical positions to better reflect the demands of a knowledge-based economy, President Tsai further explained, adding that her administration is also continuing to search for new ways to increase Taiwan’s engagement with the U.S. and spur further economic cooperation.

President Tsai emphasized that in order to strengthen U.S.-Taiwan engagements, arrangements need to be made by governments of the two sides to reassure investment decisions by businesses. Without a doubt, a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Taiwan should be prioritized.

[2019-11-19 / Presidential Office]