A Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official expressed hope Monday that Taiwanese businesses, in view of the domestic economic slowdown, will benefit from joining over 20 overseas exhibitions in 2009, and promised to partly fund their participation. Shih Wen-bin, director-general of the MOFA's Department of Economic and Trade Affairs, said that participation in the past has brought good profits for Taiwan's firms, and he encouraged more businesses to join the ministry's efforts this year to seek further trade opportunities abroad, especially amid the sluggish economy. In addition to exhibitions to be held in Taiwan's diplomatic ally nations, Shih said the ministry will also help local businesses make inroads into new emerging markets by joining exhibitions in countries such as Hungary, Israel and Mongolia. According to Cecilia Lee, senior project manager of the Overseas Exhibition Section under the Strategic Development of the semi-official Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) , which is commissioned by the MOFA for exhibition arrangements, Taiwan will focus on promoting specialized industries in which the country has global competitiveness. For instance, Taiwan will showcase technological products in the Saudi exhibition, while in Indonesia the country will display food processing machinery, Lee said, adding that Taiwan's products have great attraction to emerging markets with their “good quality and reasonable prices.” Meanwhile, TAITRA is expected to establish a Taiwan trade center in January in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in a bid to promote trade with Taiwan's African ally as well as neighboring countries with business potentials such as Ghana, according to Andrew Chang, director-general of the MOFA's Department of African Affairs. He said Burkina Faso has experienced fast growth in commercial and industrial sectors in recent years, making it a perfect base for Taiwan to expand its businesses in Africa.
