As the fifth largest economy in Asia, Taiwan has found its competitive advantage against the larger economies of in the region, such Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China, Korea and Japan. A clear sign of this is the continuous growth of the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE).
“There are many foreign companies that list in Taiwan because they have their markets in China. But foreign investors are also interested in us because of the benefits we provide, like financial stability as well as a more mature system,” TWSE Chairman Jun-ji Shih explained.
Interestingly enough, the largest institutional investor in Taiwan is Chunghwa Post, which was able to adapt to the rise of email and e-commerce quickly. But, with the ever-changing landscape of the digital economy, Chunghwa Post has had to look for other avenues of growth.
So, Chunghwa Post Chairman Philip Ong brought back the company to its roots and focused again on its original mission: making the postal service a valuable support system for people across the country, particularly small farmers, aboriginals, senior citizens and prisoners. The CSR effort has improved the image of the company and regained the trust of the Taiwanese and international investors as well.
“The post office is the most trusted company in Taiwan. We are people with integrity. The post office belongs to everybody on the island. I want people to look at it and see something heartwarming and a source of pride.
Another organization that has raised the global profile of Taiwan and promotes bilateral trade is the Taiwan-USA Industrial Cooperation Promotion Office (TUSA), which connects companies looking for investors or partners in management, marketing and technology.
“The U.S. and Taiwan know their own strengths. Bilateral investment is still very important because it triggers a lot of activities, such as more R&D activities and technology collaboration, which will really allow investment to kick off,” said TUSA CEO Dr. Sean Wang.
