Vice President Lai Ching-te said March 22 that Taiwan is committed to deepening cooperation and exchanges with the EU in the post-pandemic era through concluding a free trade or bilateral investment agreement.
 
Despite the impact of COVID-19, people in Taiwan have been able to maintain their ordinary lives, wearing masks albeit, thanks to their collective efforts in preventing the spread of the disease, Lai said.
 
It is hoped that the two sides can work to eliminate hurdles and establish closer ties through negotiating an FTA or BIA so as to facilitate two-way trade and offer more protection to businesses, he added.
 
The VP made the remarks while receiving H. Henry Chang, new chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan, at the Presidential Office in Taipei City.
 
According to the VP, Taiwan-EU exchanges continue to progress amidst the pandemic. A salient example of this is the participation by President Tsai Ing-wen in the European Day dinner staged last September in Taipei where she discussed ways to advance trade relations.
 
In addition, Lai said the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Foreign Affairs and the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan jointly organized an investment forum in late September in Taipei, while investments from both sides have also been on the rise, especially those by European firms in Taiwan’s offshore wind power generation industry, he added.
 
As the world prepares for the post-pandemic era, the VP said opportunities are abundant for Taiwan and the EU to bring their partnership to a new high.
 
The government looks forward to enhancing cooperation with the EU in sectors with abundant potential, such as biotechnology, health management, 5G telecommunication, renewable energy and semiconductor, he added. (SFC-E)
 
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