TAITRA Organizes Delegation to Tap Opportunities in Western China
2009/09/15 | By Quincy LiangTaipei, Sept 15, 2009 (CENS)--To tap more potential business opportunities in the Great West of mainland China, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) recently organized a trade group to visit major cities in western China as Chongqing of Sichuan Province and Wuhan of Hubei Province.
The group consisted of 24 Taiwanese assembled vehicle and parts makers such as Giant Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (the largest bicycle maker in Taiwan), Juili Enterprise Co., (automotive sheet-metal body parts), Nan Hoang Traffic Instrument Co., Ltd. (friction material and parts) etc.
TAITRA said that it has been actively developing new points in China so as to help trade interactions between Chinese and Taiwanese companies. The council already operates a branch office in Chengdu (Sichuan Province) and has completed the preparatory works for setting up a new one in Wuhan. In order to further develop the functions of the branch offices in China, TAITRA is also planning to move the Chengdu office to Chongqing in the same province.
TAITRA arranged meetings with 13 transportation-vehicle manufacturing conglomerates in Western China for the Taiwanese delegate, including the Lifan Group, makers of trucks, passenger cars, and motorcycles.
Many Chinese companies expressed willingness to locate suppliers of high-quality vehicle parts or partners with more advanced techniques and technologies. A Taiwanese motorcycle-engine developer, for example, said that he recognized the strong willingness from Lifan Group to introduce his company's patented engine techniques before the trip, so joined the delegation to discuss a possible partnership.
Data released by TAITRA show that Chongqing and Taiwan have close trade relationships as each of the two parties export more than US$100 million worth of products to another each year. Chongqing only now accounts for 38% of the total motorcycle production volume in China, TAITRA said, and the big industrial city is expected to create many potential business opportunities for Taiwanese companies.