The biggest-ever Taiwanese business delegation came to Vietnam April 7 to study business opportunities and investment environment.
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| Mr. Huang Chih-Peng and Mr. Wu Shang-Ming (Left) at the meeting in Hanoi |
The delegation, including more than 100 importers and exporters from Taiwan, is led by Mr. Wu Shang-Ming, Chairman of Taiwan Importers & Exporters Chamber of Commerce.
Wu hopes to find Vietnamese suppliers for his business in trading grains and beans.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hanoi, together with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade held a meeting on April 7 in Hanoi to present the economic and trade development in Vietnam.
Another Taiwanese important business delegation will arrive in Vietnam on April 17, which will be led by Mr. Liu Kuo Chao, Chairman of the Importers & Exporters Association of Taipei.
In addition to the visit to VCCI, the 38-member delegation will study economic and trade environment in Ho Chinh Minh City.
There are a number of other groups scheduled to arrive in May and June, including businessmen from the prominent Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association.
To be led by the Chairman Chiao Yu Cheng, this delegation will visit Vietnam to find new investment opportunities and new partners.
DTiNews interviewed Mr. Wu Shang-Ming, Chairman of Taiwan Importers & Exporters Chamber of Commerce.
You are leading the biggest-ever Taiwanese business delegation to Vietnam. Could you please include some main purposes of this five-day trip? Which are your major business concerns in Vietnam?
We were invited here by Mr. Huang Chih Peng, Representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hanoi on the occasion that he takes up this new post. He has offered a lot of information to Taiwanese interests on the advantages of investing in, and doing business with Vietnam. Members of our delegation are mostly small to medium-sized importers and exporters from all over Taiwan. During this visit, we do expect to study Vietnam’s investment, economic and trade environment.
What are your major business concerns in Vietnam? What do you think about the potential of those sectors?
My major business covers the trade in agricultural products, including grains and beans. However, it might not be easy to find partners in Vietnam this time because the country’s market share for these two products is still modest. We all look forward to identifying partners in Vietnam during this trip. I come to Vietnam this time on behalf of chairman of Taiwan Importers & Exporters Chamber of Commerce, to study a new market but my major market is the U.S.
At present, Vietnam is running a considerable trade deficit with Taiwan, which is estimated at over USD 5 billion last year, according to VCCI. In your opinion, what should the two sides do to narrow such gap? What is your advice to Vietnamese exporters to Taiwan?
I am aware that Vietnam is facing a big trade deficit with Taiwan. I do think the two sides should cooperate to ease the situation. The key solution to this issue is to find out a list of potential exports to Taiwan.
With provided information, what are your comments on Vietnam’s business environment?
In fact, it’s rather difficult for me to make specific assessments at the moment. However, we have collected helpful information. During the gathering on the afternoon of April 7, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Bien, VCCI Chairman Vu Tien Loc and Mr. Huang Chih-Peng had presented careful assessment of the investment environment in Vietnam, with all its advantages and disadvantages. I and Mr. Huang Chih-Peng have been friends for years. He volunteers to brief to us on the advantages of investing in, and doing business with Vietnam.
