Invitation to Conference: EU Trade Policy towards Asia – The Role of Taiwan
The European Union is stepping up its trade and economic profile in Asia. A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Korea has just been signed, and negotiations of FTAs are under way with India and selected countries in the Southeast Asian region. Furthermore, there have been talks about a new trade agreement with Japan, and the EU and China have in the last years been developing a new format for improved bilateral trade integration. One question that arises is: what are the strategies for bilateral trade integration with Asian countries outside the current trade strategy?
The case of Taiwan prompts that question. The EU and Taiwan already have significant trade and investment relations. European business has a strong presence on the Taiwanese market, and Taiwan firms represent a considerable part of the import of ICT goods to Europe. There is also an economic potential for enhancing the bilateral relation with Taiwan – and for integrating with the Chinese market in a better way through Taiwan. But is enhanced relations between Europe and Taiwan an attractive idea – and how can it be materialized? And how can it be organized to get positive reactions from Mainland China?
You are cordially invited to an ECIPE conference on EU-Asia relations and the role of Taiwan. We have managed to gather a great panel of speakers, including the Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs in Taiwan, Mr. Sheng-Chung Lin. Please find the full programme on the other side of this invitation.
RSVP by November 16 to info@ecipe.org
Programme
14:15 Registration
14:30 Introduction Mr. Fredrik Erixon
14:35 Welcoming Note Minister Sheng-Chung Lin
14:45 Stepping into Asia’s Growth markets: EU’s Bilateral Trade Approach Mr Rupert Schlegelmilch
15:00 The role of Taiwan in Asian regional Economic Integration Mr. Hosuk Lee-Makiyama
15:10 Cross Straits Rapprochement: Enhancing EU- aiwan Trade Relations through a FTA? Professor Razeen Sally
15:20 EU Business Integration with Asia and Taiwan Dr. Adrian van den Hoven
15:30 Next Steps for EU-Taiwan Relations MEP Christofer Fjellner
15:40 Coffee/Tea
16:00 Panel discussion
17:00 Concludory remarks Mr. Roderick Abbott
Speakers
Mr. Sheng-Chung Lin is the Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs in Taiwan
Mr Rupert Schlegelmilch is Head of Unit and Chief Negotiator for EU’s FTA negotiations with ASEAN countries
Mr. Hosuk Lee-Makiyama is Director at ECIPE
Professor Razeen Sally is Director at ECIPE
Dr. Adrian van den Hoven is Director of International Affairs at Business Europe
Mr. Christofer Fjellner is a Member of the European Parliament
Mr. Roderick Abbott is Senior Adviser at ECIPE and former Deputy Director General at the European Commission and the World Trade Organisation
Location
