February 12, 2010

Dear AmCham Members,

During thisperiod between the Western and the Chinese New Year celebrations, wewant to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for the confidenceand support that you have offered to AmCham in the past year. Theglobal financial crisis made 2009 an extremely challenging year for allof us. We’re pleased to report that the Chamber made it through 2009 invery good shape. Membership remained stable during 2009, standing atabout 900 individual members representing more than 470 companies.AmCham remains the largest and most influential foreign businessorganization in Taiwan.

Although companies headquartered in the United States make up the core of our membership, AmCham’s composition is increasingly diverse, including companies from Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, as well as other nationalities. AmCham welcomes broad participation from multinational companies that share our core values of private enterprise, rule of law, free trade, ethical practices and transparency. At our Annual General Meeting, our members voted to amend the Articles of Association to officially include representation from these non-U.S. based companies.

Reflecting the dynamism of the Chamber during the year was the high level of attendance at our “signature events.” The 41st annual Hsieh Nien Fan – an occasion to thank government officials and domestic business leaders for their cooperation during the past year – filled the room with more than 500 members and guests. It has become customary for the President of the Republic of China to deliver the keynote address at the banquet. This year President Ma Ying-jeou honored our membership by staying for the entire evening.

Mid-November once again was party time for the Chamber. Co-sponsored by AIT, AmCham held the annual American Ball, drawing some 400 revelers for good food and drinks, entertainment, abundant raffle prizes, and plenty of dancing. The American Ball reaffirmed its reputation as the premier social occasion of the year for the Taipei expat community.

As important as the big events are, AmCham continued week in and week out to provide its members with valuable opportunities for networking, information sharing, and business opportunities. By year end, the Chamber had held well over 200 programs, including special breakfasts and luncheons, committee meetings, leadership meetings, workshops, and seminars. Including meetings with government agencies, a total of almost 500 events were held. Among the noteworthy occasions was the appearance of newly appointed AIT Director William Stanton as guest speaker at the Annual General Meeting in November. Other prominent speakers at AmCham luncheon meetings during the year included Transportation and Communications Minister C.K. Mao, Finance Minister Lee Shush-der, Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Sean Chen, and former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Peter Allgeier.

On the advocacy side, AmCham’s efforts center around the Taiwan White Paper published each May. The overview and the various Chamber committee position papers provide the agenda for rounds of discussions with government officials for the following 12 months. In June, AmCham sent a delegation to Washington, D.C. on its week-long “Doorknock” mission to exchange views with Congressmen and their staffs, key executive branch officials, scholars, and think tank representatives. This year’s group conducted a total of 28 visits.

Following the Doorknock, AmCham delegations began a round of calls on high-level government officials that included the Premier, the Chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development, and numerous cabinet ministers. The priority issues that were raised included, but were not limited to, Financial Services, Pharmaceuticals, Government Procurement Agreement implementation, Education, and Tax Reforms. These issues are also regularly discussed in depth in AmCham’s highly acclaimed Taiwan Business TOPICS, which is looked upon as a model by other chambers in the region. Among the cover subjects this year were reports on Taiwan’s hospitals and university system, the progress in cross-Strait economic relations, and the biotech and telecom industries. Also continuing to be very popular are the special editions of Wine & Dine in Taiwan in January and Travel and Culture in June.

Although the year was tough from a global and local economic perspective, we salute the continuing high level of activity and spirit of the American Chamber. Special thanks to all our Board, committee and staff members for helping to ensure the implementation of the Chamber’s 2009 priorities. Thanks also to our two dedicated Vice Chairmen, Jeff Nemeth and William Farrell, who reached the end of their terms. And finally, a big ‘thank you’ to all of our members for their support and involvement in all of our activities.

Although we understand that economic recovery continues and tough challenges remain, AmCham sees new opportunities ahead and remains committed to build on the strength of 2009. The new 2010 Board recently met to decide on the priorities for the new year, with most focusing on continuous improvement in our membership service offerings. We will keep you updated throughout the year.

As we start 2010 and on the eve of the Year of the Tiger, AmCham’s entire team wishes you and your loved ones a healthy and successful New Year.

 

Chairman, Alan Eusden                                                 

President, Andrea Wu