The government will continue to drive growth in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, including encouraging investment, tax breaks, relaxing regulations, and helping firms attract and retain foreign professionals, according to Premier Lai Ching-te Sept. 5.

At the Cabinet’s weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Lai Ching-te pledged government efforts to work with businesses in promoting responsible innovation and financial controls for financial technology (fintech), which he said will create greater prosperity for the people of Taiwan.

Premier Lai Ching-te on Tuesday attended a banquet to welcome home Taiwan’s delegation to the 2018 Asian Games, which closed in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on September 2. The premier praised the athletes’ outstanding performance, the second best in the nation’s history of Asian Games participation, and encouraged the competitors to continue training for a repeat victory at the 2020 Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo.

Taiwan is an ideal partner for like-minded countries seeking to advance Indo-Pacific strategies and is ready and willing to work with all parties in promoting peace, stability and rules-based order across the region, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said Aug. 30.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu highlighted the important role that Taiwan plays in the Indo-Pacific region in a speech delivered at the Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue, held in Taipei on August 30. Nearly 200 guests attended the event, including former US Navy Admiral and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO James G. Stavridis, former US Deputy National Security Advisor Nadia Schadlow, lawmakers from Japan, Taiwan, and the United States, as well as many Taiwanese and foreign scholars

The Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue opened Aug. 30 in Taipei City, bringing together leading experts from home and abroad to examine ways of creating a more free, open and prosperous region.

Taichung City-based China Medical University Hospital in central Taiwan was awarded the Friend of Foreign Service Medal by Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu Aug. 29 for advancing the nation’s medical diplomacy.

Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese language versions of the New Southbound Policy Portal operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were officially launched Aug. 24 as part of government efforts to promote the regional initiative.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu conferred the Friend of Foreign Service Medal upon China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) on August 29 in recognition of its longstanding participation in international medical affairs and remarkable contributions to promoting medical diplomacy.

Two groups of Taiwan youth agricultural ambassadors will visit Malaysia and Vietnam, respectively, Aug. 26 to Sept. 2 as part of government efforts to foster mutually beneficial exchanges and advance sustainable farming in New Southbound Policy countries, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.