Land and people are two essential components in efforts to woo back investments from overseas Taiwanese enterprises, Premier Sean Chen said today while inspecting construction and land use at the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park.
Many overseas Taiwanese firms have already returned to Taiwan and inked letters of intent thanks to a program formulated by the Council for Economic Planning and Development and carried out by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). The MOEA is currently taking inventory of land available in the park to make room for more companies and help promote regional prosperity. The premier made the comments at the Automotive Research and Testing Center (ARTC) in the industrial park.
"Vehicles started out as boxes on wheels to help people move goods. This invention has not only helped advance civilization but also facilitated interaction among people. In our time, limitations in energy resources have necessitated the evolution of different vehicles and functions, making car research and testing even more important," said the premier.
At the ARTC, Taiwan's main base for automotive research and testing, the premier test-drove an electric vehicle (EV) developed by the center and tried his hand at recharging the battery. Marveling at Taiwan's advanced technology, the premier encouraged the industry to continue innovating auto electronics and EVs and to strengthen global exports of whole vehicles.
According to the ARTC, auto electronics and EVs have flourished due to heavy investments in R&D, the creation of original brands, as well as close partnerships between the automotive and other globally competitive industries in Taiwan. The number of whole vehicles sold to the Middle East and Southeast Asia exceeded 40,000 in 2011, and is expected to reach 70,000 this year.
In addition, Taiwan is currently negotiating to export whole vehicles tariff-free into mainland China and coordinating the types of cars produced on the two sides. To develop new markets for whole-vehicle exports, Taiwan will boost production for domestic and overseas sales from the current 350,000 vehicles, thereby attracting investments to Taiwan while stimulating job growth.