Taiwan trade mission in town

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A trade mission from Taiwan is currently in Jakarta to cement further relations with the local business community.

The Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta said in a statement that the mission, the largest from Taiwan to visit Indonesia in recent years, consists of 61 members from 46 of Taiwan's prominent enterprises and associations.

The group, which arrived on Sunday, will conduct individual trade meetings with interested local businesspeople at the Timor Room in Hotel Borobudur on Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Tuesday, they will hold a follow-up trade meeting before leaving for Taipei on the following day.

The visit is part of the mission's 15-day tour to Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, which began on June 2.

Their products cover a wide range of major export items from Taiwan to Southeast Asia, such as information and communication technology; hardware and tools; machines and building materials; automobile parts and rubber products; household, kitchen and electrical products; paper and packing materials; foods and cosmetic and beauty care.

Indonesia does not have official political relations with Taiwan, but trade between the two is strong with Indonesia exporting between US$1.1 billion and $1.4 billion worth of non- oil and gas products per annum to Taiwan over the past five years and importing between $750 million and $1.2 billion worth of products yearly from them over the same period.