Taipei, Oct. 8 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian met an Australian trade delegation Wednesday and expressed the hope that economic and trade relations between the two countries can be further strengthened.
Ian Sinclair, chairman of Australia-Taiwan Business Council (ATBC), who is leading the Australian trade delegation, extended an invitation to Taiwan's business leaders and government officials to visit Australia to promote bilateral economic and trade ties.
President Chen expressed his gratitude to the Australian government for its support for Taiwan's bid to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO), and he said that the ATBC has played a vital role in the efforts. Taiwan joined the WTO in early 2002, becoming the 144th member of the world organization.
Bilateral trade between Taiwan and Australia reached US$4.4 billion last year, with a trade surplus of US$1.2 billion in Australia's favor.
Taiwan, Australia's eighth-largest trading partner, is also Australia's 10th-largest source of both tourists and foreign students. Last year, Taiwan people made 97,400 visits to Australia for sightseeing, while more than 6,300 Taiwan students were studying there.
Sinclair, on his third visit to Taiwan, also hailed the island's capability in dealing with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) , which hit Taiwan earlier this year.
Although SARS had a tremendous impact, Taiwan's ability to recover and the efficiency in its anti-SARS measures were also impressive, Sinclair said.
Sinclair added that next year will be the 20th anniversary of the ATBC's founding, and that he hopes that Taiwan's business leaders and government officials can attend the celebration in Canberra.