President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of August 28 at the Presidential Office met with Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. Chairman and President Mr. Akihisa Fujinuma. The president, on behalf of the ROC government and people of Taiwan, extended a warm welcome and expressed appreciation to Mr. Akihisa on his visit to Taiwan.
The president said that Nomura Research Institute is Japan's foremost research institution, with analysts at the institute engaging in economic, social and technology research. The president said he looks forward to continued exchanges and cooperation between Nomura Research Institute and the Taiwan government and private sector.
President Ma furthermore noted that Nomura Research Institute Taipei Branch has been in existence for over 10 years and it has gradually established a brand name awareness for itself. He said that Taiwan is presently facing a number of problems, especially in the area of economics. President Ma said he hopes the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Council for Economic Planning and Development will exchange opinions with Nomura Research Institute and that the agencies will work together on looking for solutions to the problems being faced.
President Ma said that several years ago when he was mayor of Taipei he made a visit to Japan, with the focus of the trip being on the topics in relations to information development. At the time, he said, Japan was aggressively promoting its "u-Japan" initiative. He said that what he learned on that trip was invaluable in working to promote the WiFly broadband wireless initiative during his term as mayor. The president noted that Japan is extremely advanced in the development of information technology. He said he hopes his guests will relate their experiences and provide suggestions for Taiwan.
Chairman Akihisa said that Nomura Research Institute Taipei Branch has a history dating back 14 years. He added that the institute has long maintained close and cooperative ties with the government and private sector here. Chairman Akihisa said the Japanese corporate sector generally maintains the view that if it wants to invest in mainland China, its chance for success will be significantly improved by working together with Taiwan. He furthermore said that Taiwan's new government is striving to improve cross-strait relations. This will not only aid Taiwan's economic development, but also will bring many benefits for Japan concerning developing markets in mainland China.
Chairman Akihisa was accompanied to the Presidential Office in the morning to meet with President Ma by Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs John Chen-chung Teng.