GEORGE TOWN: Penang is set to host more of the Taiwan Expo, after a successful two-day exposition at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre received strong support from the state and people here.
Taiwan External Trade Development Council (Taitra) chairman James C.F. Huang said this is due to the positive results the expo had. He said the rich cultural and historical ties that both islands share is another factor.
The expo was held here on Friday and Saturday. Kuala Lumpur had played host to the annual event for the last two years.
The event featured 12 themed pavilions with two exhibit areas covering products and services under six major segments including smart cities, Industry 4.0, green tech, healthcare, Taiwanese halal food products, lifestyle and tourism.
There were also seminars on healthcare technology, Taiwan-Japan business cooperation forum, and a forum on green technology.
There was also bubble tea which originated from Taiwan that has a strong following among the youth in Penang.
Penang and Taiwan have enjoyed robust trade, investment ties as well as educational, heritage and cultural linkages over the decades, Huang said. This has helped Penang to cement a special relationship with Taiwan, he added.
The country is among the top five investors in Penang and about 43,000 Taiwanese visited here last year.
“It is the Silicon Valley of the East (Penang) meets the Powerhouse of the ICT (Information Communications Technology), which is Taiwan,” Huang said at a press conference with Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, before opening the expo.
Chow said Penang and Taiwan are also in a position to benefit if the US-China Trade War continues to persist over time.
“There are business opportunities for both sides to pursue such as the setting up of manufacturing bases if the trade war continues. Taiwan also has a strong investment and manufacturing presence in Penang,” Chow said.
Chow said there are areas which Taiwan and Penang can collaborate on, especially in electronics and electrical machinery, as well as the services sector.
A Taiwan private hospital is negotiating with the state to set up a branch here, he added.
Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade chief of staff Nick K. Ni and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia, Representative Anne Hung and the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia secretary-general Datuk Low Kian Chuan joined in the opening of the exposition.
