CACCI Presidential Delegation visited the headquarters of the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce, Taiwan (CNAIC), a CACCI Primary Member in Taiwan, where they were received by CNAIC officers and members headed by Chairman Mr. Thomas T. L. Wu.

The visit on May 17th 2023 was welcomed by Mr. Wu who congratulated Mr. Peter McMullin on his election as CACCI President during the CACCI Conference held in November 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. He also praised Mr. McMullin for having been responsible for the recent admission of Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) as the newest Primary Member of CACCI.

The delegation learned from Mr. Wu that the CNAIC was founded in 1952 as the first nationwide business organization. Many of its former Chairmen had taken active roles in CACCI, including the late Dr. Koo Chen-Fu and Dr. Jeffrey L. S. Koo. With a current membership of approximately 1,100 members affiliated with large corporations as well as SMEs, the CNAIC today provides regular financial advice to the government on behalf of the business community; promotes international industrial cooperation and cross-strait economic and trade exchanges; strengthens member services, organizes economic and trade-related activities and provides the latest business information; and provides latest information on global economic trends.

In response, Mr. Peter McMullin AM thanked Mr. Wu and its key officers and members for taking time from their busy schedules to meet with the CACCI delegation from several countries. He took the opportunity to introduce CACCI, underscoring the role it plays as a platform for people-to-people contact to improve inter-relationships – which is important not only for the Confederation but for the region as a whole in order to create a business environment conducive for business cooperation. He expressed his appreciation to Taiwan – as represented by CNAIC and other Taiwanese members in Taiwan – for recognizing the value of business relationships through its support of CACCI.

Mr. McMullin said he considered businessmen as merchants of peace because of the role they play in improving the economic standing of communities around the globe and therefore ensuring the absence of any conflicts. He mentioned that CACCI follows the SET concept – Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, and Trade – as the guiding principle for CACCI to make it well-positioned to address many challenges and issues faced by the global market environment.

He also took the opportunity to invite CNAIC and its members to send a big delegation to the 37th CACCI Conference to be held in Cambodia on October 30-31, 2023.

During the Q&A session, the following discussions took place:

(a) Mr. Sayeed once again cited the need to ease visa issuance in order facilitate person-to-person contact; stressed Pakistan’s advantage of having a young population; invited CNAIC members to visit Pakistan to get first-hand information on the country’s business, trade and investment opportunities and gain access to thousands of FPCCI members and set up businesses in Pakistan particularly in import-substituting industries, thereby helping solve the foreign reserves problem of Pakistan.

(b) Mr. Atif Iqbal from Pakistan noted that Pakistan exports pharmaceutical products to other countries with the Pakistani government’s push to promote the export of medicines, and encouraged Taiwanese government and businessmen to consider working with Pakistan in improving the standards of pharmaceutical production in order to meet international requirements. He also cited the opportunities in the construction industry of Pakistan, which currently imports building materials from China and Europe. Taiwan can serve as an additional source of construction products for Pakistan.

(c) CNAIC Chairman Mr. Wu informed Mr. Iqbal that the CNAIC has established a Committee that looks at Smart Health Care Program. This Committee can work with FPCCI in exploring possible areas of cooperation. He also informed the visitors that Taiwan is increasingly becoming a Muslim-friendly country, providing facilities and services that cater to the needs of Muslims (e.g., prayer rooms at the airport, restaurants that serve halal food, and the presence of a Muslim mosque in Taipei that has received leaders from Muslim countries in the past).

The full report of the CACCI Presidential Visit to Taiwan can be read HERE.