Taipei, April 25 (CNA) Government reform and continued growth in foreign commerce are both essential for Taiwan to ensure its security and prosperity, President Chen Shui-bian said Thursday.
Chen said at a seminar organized by the ROC Association of Export and Import-related Industries and the Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei that Taiwan faces a dynamic and uncertain global competitive environment that is compelling transformations across the domestic industry.
In the wake of Taiwan's accession to the World Trade Organization, the island is facing rapid changes in production and distribution structures, import and export models, and competitive advantages, Chen said, adding that the government must work with the private sector to adapt despite having already established a "solid foundation."
Crisis brings new opportunities, Chen said, reminding the importers and exporters that Taiwan now possesses the same rights and duties as other WTO members and that local industry will gradually enter an open, quota-less global market.
Chen went on to say that Taiwan should actively blend in with the international community through trade and strengthen its integration with the Asia-Pacific region's-- and the world's--economies.
To increase the government's administrative efficiency and improve the country's international competitiveness, the government has begun pushing for administrative reforms and will follow with legislative reforms, Chen added.