The 2019 Taiwan Expo debuts in PenangBureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs

Source：Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs

James C.F. Huang, Chairman of TAITRA (4th from right), Anne Hung, Representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia (3rd from right) and Nick Ni, Chief of Staff of the BOFT under the MOEA (2nd from right) at the opening ceremony with VIPs.

 

The 3rd Taiwan Expo 2019 in Malaysia made a brilliant debut at Setia SPICE Convention Centre from 5 to 6 July. The Bureau of Foreign Trade under the MOEA joined hands with the Tourism Bureau, the Council of Indigenous Peoples, the Taipei City Government, and the Export Processing Zone Administration to bring 140 Taiwanese exhibitors to Malaysia this year displaying 110 booths. The event featured 6 main aspects – Taiwan lifestyle, Tour Taiwan, Healthcare, Green Tech, Smart City, and Taiwan Halal & Agricultural products to present Taiwan's lifestyle and industrial strengths to the Malaysia people. This year's brand visual design was based on a combination of the feature animal species of Taiwan and Malaysia, the Formosan swallowtail butterfly and the Malaysian tiger, representing cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and Malaysia.

 

Dignitaries present included Mr. Y.B Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang State, Dato Low Kian Chuan, Secretary General of The National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) among others. The opening ceremony kicked off with a sand painting by Mr. Huang, Chairman of TAITRA and Mr. Chow, Chief Minister of Penang State. The sand painting combined Taiwanese art to present an image of the intertwining cultures of Taiwan and Malaysia, in a symbol of Taiwan’s long-term cultural and economic exchanges with Malaysia in achieving a mutually beneficial and win-win partnership.

 

In his address, Nick Ni, Chief of Staff of the BOFT under the MOEA mentioned that Taiwan and Malaysia shared a long history of exchanges. Taiwan's green and halal industries have potential for development in Malaysia and that the Taiwan Expo would create a new economic industrial value chain between the two countries. He added that our global Muslim-friendly destination ranking among non-Muslim countries was promoted to 3rd place in 2018, clearly showing that Taiwan’s efforts to promote a Muslim-friendly environment have gained international recognition. It is expected that the platform provided by the Expo will facilitate dialogue and exchanges in various fields between the two sides.

 

Mr. Y.B Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang State, also agreed that the Taiwan Expo is the largest platform for two-way exchanges between Taiwan and the New South. He stated that Penang is the focus of Malaysia's economic development and under the "Penang 2030 Vision" and various major infrastructure construction business opportunities, Taiwanese manufacturers will surely be able to build a tighter link with the Malaysian business community.

 

In view of the large Muslim population in Malaysia, this year the organizer combined the Taiwan Halal & Bubble Tea Pavilion, the Taiwan Agricultural Pavilion, and the local halal supermarket MYDIN in cooperating with the Taiwan International Halal Expo. Famous Penang chef, Nurilkarim, used Taiwan’s halal ingredients to create Nyonya cuisine at the Expo. The presentation of Nyonya cuisine displayed Taiwan’s high-quality halal products, while Taiwanese pearl milk tea also earned high popularity at exhibition.

 

Taiwan’s Indigenous’ Hub brought to the Expo Taiwan’s jewel – the songs of our indigenous peoples. The Taiwan Tourism Pavilion used AR technology to take guests on a trip to Taiwan’s DADAOCHENG, allowing locals to experience Taiwan’s tourism and culture. At the Taiwan Healthcare Pavilion, the cancer treatment technology, proton therapy, which had not yet been introduced to Malaysia was on display for attendees. Moreover, Taiwan's high-end medical tourism services were highly enquired after by local Malaysian Chinese.

 

On the first day of the Expo, the Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei and the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry Penang signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation, witnessed by the Bureau of Foreign Trade and the Economic Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia. The 2-day Expo attracted over 11,000 visitors and promoted exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and Malaysia, opening a new chapter for cultural and economic exchanges between the two countries.

The Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei and the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry Penang signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation on the first day of the exhibition, witnessed by Nick Ni, Chief of Staff of the BOFT under the MOEA and Mr. Da-Wei Hsu, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia.