Taiwan-Japan Industrial Cooperation Office Comes Into Being

2012/03/19  Taipei, March 19, 2012 (CENS)--Taiwan and Japan industrial cooperation promotion office will be established on March 21, which aims to expand the cooperation between the two countries to the fields of management, R&D, production, and marketing, in a bid to jointly cope with the competition of South Korea and tap the mainland Chinese market.   The office will be placed under the auspices of the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). Chou Neng-chuan, deputy director general of IDB and chief executive of the office, pointed out that the office will come at the heels of cross-Taiwan Strait bridging program office. The MOEA will form Taiwan-U.S. industrial cooperation promotion office in the near future, thereby completing the deployment for global industrial cooperation.   Chou pointed out that Taiwan-Japan industrial cooperation promotion office will formulate the strategy for Taiwan-Japan industrial cooperation, select focal industries for development, develop Taiwan-Japan industrial cooperative cases, and explore overseas markets.   Chou noted that in the wake of the March 11 major earthquake in Japan last year, Japanese enterprises have begun to seek backup production bases abroad.   Following the signing of cross-Taiwan Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), Taiwan can serve as the gateway for Japanese enterprises to enter the mainland Chinese market, according to Chou. In addition to the tariff cut for the early harvest list, Taiwan can help Japanese enterprises develop products meeting the needs of the Chinese market.   At present, the relationship between Taiwanese and Japanese enterprises feature vertical cooperation, with Japanese firms providing upstream components and parts or technological support and Taiwanese firms undertaking the production of downstream components and parts or finished products. The major cooperative fields include machinery, optics, auto and motorcycle, medical devices, and pharmaceutical. Chou noted that in the future Taiwan-Japan industrial relationship will transform into horizontal cooperation, with the scope of cooperation being extended to management, R&D, and marketing.