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067105
MDLIAN 0334.
H H TSAIE
VICE CHAIRMAN
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL OF CUSTOMS
D J JAN
BOARD OF FOREIGN TRADE
Y F LIN
DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL
STRAITS EXCHANGE FOUNDATION
C P SHIH
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
5. ACCORDING TO THE TAIPEI-BASED FEDERATION , THE TWO SIDES WILL PROMOTE TRADE, ENCOURAGE TOURISM, JOINT VENTURES AND THE EXCHANGE OF COMMERCIAL INFORMATION. THEY WILL ALSO SET UP A JOINT
VENTURE BASED IN HONG KONG TO EXPLORE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRADE
WITH THE INVESTMENT IN MAINLAND CHINA. THE FEDERATION BELIEVES
THAT 'TAIWAN COMPANIES WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THIS JOINT VENTURE AS A CHANNEL FOR INVESTING IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES IN CHINA'.
6. SEPARATELY, JACK SO TZU-KUANG, DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (HKTDC), ARRIVED HERE ON 1 JUNE, AND ANNOUNCED THE OPENING OF A NEW OFFICE. HE IS HEADING A DELEGATION OF HONG KONG BUSINESSMEN WHO ARE VISITING TAIWANESE GOVERNMENT
DEPARTMENTS AND LOCAL BUSINESS COUNTERPARTS. PENDING THE OPENING OF THE OFFICE, A LOCAL CONSULTANT HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO HANDLE HKTDC'S INTERESTS IN THE INTERIM.
7. HKTDC HAVE ANNOUNCED A SERIES OF PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING STORE PROMOTION IN NOVEMBER AND RELATED CULTURAL
EVENTS. HKTDC WILL ALSO SEND DELEGATIONS TO VARIOUS TAIWAN TRADE
FAIRS.
COMMENT
8. IT IS NOT CLEAR FROM OUR CONTACTS HERE WHETHER THIS SIZEABLE HONG KONG PRESENCE IN TAIPEI WAS CO-ORDINATED AND, SURPRISINGLY, NO REFERENCE WAS MADE TO IT A DINNER ON 1 JUNE BY VINCENT SIEW, MINISTER OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, EVEN ALTHOUGH CONVERSATION DID TOUCH ON TAIWAN/HONG KONG RELATIONS. IT SEEMS, THEREFORE, THAT THE INITIATIVE HAS BEEN TAKEN ENTIRELY BY PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, BUT
COULD HERALD AND ORGANISED MOVE TOWARDS CLOSER RELATIONS BETWEEN
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