Charles Garrett

Taiwan and WTO's Government Procurement Agreement

US$960 billion is a big market.  That's the figure put on total annual government procurement opportunities in the 40 countries already signed up to the WTO's Government Procurement Agreement.  Taiwan officially becomes the 41st member of that group on 15 July, 30 days on from submitting its instrument of accession. 

President Ma spoke at the ceremony of Taiwan's signing up WTO's Government Procurement Agreement

It's great news for Taiwanese businesses who now have access to that market.  It's great news for British businesses interested in competing for contracts under the i-Taiwan programme of infrastructure development which is worth a staggering £80 billion over the next eight years.  And it's also good news for the Taiwanese consumer as opening these tenders to overseas businesses will increase competitiveness, pushing costs down and quality up.

Making the case for accession had for several years been a familiar theme for the BTCO and other Trade Offices in contact with the Taiwanese government, as well as for business groups like the European Chamber of Commerce and AmCham.  After such a long road, it felt good to arrive at an outcome that will benefit so many, both in Taiwan and elsewhere.  President Ma signed the accession instrument on the opening day of this year's Taiwan-Britain Business Council (see below) - a coincidence that certainly lent a positive tone to the meeting.

Posted at 16:25 16 July 2009 by Charles Garrett  |  Comments[0]

Taiwan Britain Business Council

Each year Taiwanese and British companies come together in London or Taipei for the Taiwan-Britain Business Council (TBBC). The main aim of the TBBC is to generate new business opportunities and so help to build our trade and investment relationship. This year the programme, featuring a video-conference with the UK Minister for Trade Mervyn Davies, drew over 200 representatives of British and Taiwanese companies from three sectors - infrastructure, ICT and financial services. Mervyn Davies knows Taiwan well from his time as Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank and spoke enthusiastically about ideas for generating new business. The key now is to follow up, to ensure that the enthusiasm and ideas that the TBBC produced in two days get converted into better trade figures.

The 11th Joint Meeting of Taiwan Britain Business Council was held from 8-9 June 2009 in Taipei.

There was one theme that came up time and again at the TBBC, in workshops, during the site visits, over lunch or dinner or just in the many networking conversations that went on throughout the event: Visa-Free Access. Since March ths year, most Taiwanese passport-holders have no longer needed a visa for visits of less than six months to the UK. Although it is too early to say exactly how much this has increased travel to Britain, it is clear from talking to travel agents that the number of Taiwanese travelling to the UK is going to be much higher this year than in 2008. And judging by conversations I had at the TBBC, business - both Taiwanese and British - has welcomed it enthusiastically. For investors and exporters alike, this has been a very popular step forward.

Posted at 14:20 06 July 2009 by Charles Garrett  |  Comments[2]

Cycling in Taiwan

Outside work, Taiwan has witnessed over the last few years a social development that has amazed and delighted me in a equal measure.

I'm talking about the massive increase in the popularity of bicycles. When I first came here in 2005 it seemed that cycling was a minority interest. Taipei City Government was building cycle paths along the capital's rivers more in hope, it seemed, than in expectation that people would actually use them.

Charles Garrett(third from left), Deputy Director of BTCO

But today those same pathways, still being extened and improved, are now busy with cyclists of all ages and at all times. And on the back-roads of Yangmingshan - which must be one of the world's very best networks of cycling routes for the super-fit bikes now outnumber cars and scooters many times over. Pay a visit to Road 101 from Danshui to Erziping or the road which leads from the National Palace Museum over the hills to Wanli, and you'll see what I meam.

On Sunday 14 June I was in Nantou County cycling 58km from Puli to Hehuanshan. The race starts at about 400 metres above sea-level and ends at over 3200 metres. I cannot think of anywhere in the world which has a race like it - this must be unique. What surprises me is that so few people outside Taiwan know about this. There is a big global market for extreme physical challenges - this sort of event could bring participants from around the world.

Posted at 12:04 02 July 2009 by Charles Garrett  |  Comments[2]

Taiwan and Europe.

European Chamber of Commerce in Taipei celebrated its Europe Day last month with a massive dinner. 640 guests came to hear President Ma speak about Taiwan and Europe. 

President Ma addressing guests

To me, the relationship between Taiwan and Europe has always felt like "tomorrow's relationship". The relationship has developed steadily in recent years:  Europe is now the single largest foreign investor in Taiwan; Taiwanese are studying in ever increasing numbers at European universities (mostly in the UK of course), and so on.  President Ma gave more examples in his speech on 14 May. 

But still, we could do so much more: Europe's Single Market is the world's biggest economy (over 500 million rich, sophisticated consumers) and yet only 1% of Taiwan's investment goes there.  We need to do more to exploit that potential.

Posted at 21:51 23 June 2009 by Charles Garrett  |  Comments[4]