What are the implications for European governments and businesses of recent developments in Cross-Strait relations? Do the signing in 2010 of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA, and subsequent agreements) and the accompanying improvements in the relations between China and Taiwan offer possibilities for strengthened economic cooperation between the EU and Taiwan? What are the key considerations of Dutch public and private actors with regard to these issues? Those are the key questions for debate at this expert seminar.

The meeting brings together a selected group of high-level representatives from the Taiwanese and Dutch public and private sectors, as well as several prominent researchers in the field.

The aim of the seminar is to improve our understanding of (1) the nature of recent developments in Cross-Strait relations; (2) the effects of regional and bilateral trade negotiations in Asia on the geostrategic position of Taiwan; and (3) the implications and opportunities for European - and especially Dutch - governments and businesses with regards to these developments.

Programme:

13.30              Arrival of guests

13.45-14.00    Introduction by the chair
                       Maaike Okano-Heijmans, Senior Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute

14.00-14.10   Word of welcome
                       Bas Pulles, Director International Programmes, Netherlands Enterprise Agency

14.10-14.40    Keynote speech: Taiwan’s trade diplomacy and EU-Taiwan relations
                       Chih-yu Chien, Negotiator, Office of Trade Negotiation, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Executive Yuan, Republic of China (Taiwan)
                       Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, Director, European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE)

14.40-15.15    Q&A and plenary discussion

                       Coffee/tea break

15.30-16.00    Session 2. Implications and opportunities for governments and businesses
                       Annemarie Jorritsma, Mayor of the City of Almere
                       Roy Lee, Deputy CEO, Chung-hua Institute for Economic Research (CIER)
16.00-16.45    Q&A and plenary discussion

                       Reception

This expert seminar is by invitation only.
If you are working in a relevant field and wish to attend the meeting, you are invited to contact us by e-mail at cbakker@clingendael.nl.