This March when President Ma Ying-jeou delivered the keynote speech at AmCham’s annual Hsieh Nien Fan banquet, he noted that the major change undertaken by his government in its then nine months in office was the inauguration of cross-Strait direct flights and other improvements in economic relations with China. “This has a lot to do with AmCham,” said Ma. He alluded to statements year after year in the White Paper expressing concern that restrictions on dealings with the mainland were in effect preventing Taiwan from developing into a springboard for business with the rest of Asia. “We listened very carefully to your suggestions,” said the President.

For the more than 100 AmCham committee members and office staff who devote many hours to preparation of the White Paper, it is extremely encouraging to know that the end-product is appreciated, and even acted upon. The process is arduous. It begins early each year, as the individual committees solicit input from their member companies about specific problems their industry is facing – or past difficulties that have been resolved. In the weeks leading up to the release of the White Paper in late May or early June, those issues are compiled into finished position papers for each committee, which are then translated into Chinese to make the contents more widely accessible. AmCham then adds an Overview to place the issues within a larger economic and political context, and this year for the second time it has also presented a section, Requests to Washington, of recommendations to the U.S. government.   

Publication of the White Paper is only the beginning of AmCham’s advocacy activity. The Chamber’s Doorknock delegation to Washington D.C. each June conducts a week-long round of visits to U.S. executive and legislative branch offices and think tanks. After the group’s return, the AmCham leadership briefs high-level Taiwan government officials on the White Paper contents and begins a series of meetings with both cabinet ministers and working-level staff at the various government departments. (AmCham last year held a total of 326 government meetings at different levels).

Through the fact-based advocacy program built around the White Paper, AmCham seeks to fulfill its stated mission of fostering the development of investment and trade between the United States and Taiwan, and to promote its Core Values of private enterprise, rule of law, free trade, ethical and responsible business practices, and transparency and the free flow of information.