New Southbound Policy Portal

Taiwan, US co-host regional meeting on air quality management

EPA Minister Chang Tzi-chin (sixth right) and AIT Deputy Director Raymond Greene (fifth right) give the thumbs-up alongside experts and officials at the opening ceremony of the annual Taiwan-U.S. organized meeting on air quality management July 30 in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City. (Courtesy of Environmental Protection Administration)

EPA Minister Chang Tzi-chin (sixth right) and AIT Deputy Director Raymond Greene (fifth right) give the thumbs-up alongside experts and officials at the opening ceremony of the annual Taiwan-U.S. organized meeting on air quality management July 30 in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City. (Courtesy of Environmental Protection Administration)

A meeting on improving regional air quality kicked off July 30 in Taoyuan City, northern Taiwan, underscoring the government’s commitment to promoting a healthier environment.
 
Co-organized by the Cabinet-level Environmental Protection Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the four-day annual event involves experts and officials from six countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. It is held under the International Environmental Partnership, an expert network launched by Taiwan and the U.S. in 2014.
 
Taiwan’s EPA Minister Chang Tzi-chin said at the opening ceremony that participating nations are willing and able to improve air quality management standards. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is committed to helping them achieve this goal by sharing its know-how, he added.
 
Raymond Greene, deputy director of the American Institute in Taiwan, acknowledged Taiwan’s role in helping countries in the region. The meeting is a good example of Taiwan working to improve the technical capacity of its Indo-Pacific partners, he said.
 
According to Taiwan’s EPA, the meeting is also in keeping with the New Southbound Policy’s core goal of boosting regional cooperation. A key plank in the government’s national development strategy, the NSP is enhancing Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. (CPY-E)