Taiwan’s foreign exchange export proceeds and import payments for the first 11 months of this year amounted to US$289.2 billion and US$268.8 billion, for a balance of US$20.4 billion, according to the Central Bank of the ROC. The figures marked increases of 14.9 percent and 15.9 percent, respectively, over the levels for the same period a year earlier, the bank said.
National Taiwan University Hospital signed an agreement with U.S.-based pharmaceutical services provider Quintiles Transnational Dec. 14 to become a partner in the Prime Site Program. Under the agreement, the two sides will collaborate on the development and clinical trials of new drugs in a variety of areas including cardiovascular diseases, tumors, nervous disorders and vaccines.
Guatemalan President-elect Otto Perez Molina said Dec. 13 that his new government would continue to promote cooperative relations with the ROC. He made the comments while receiving ROC Ambassador to Guatemala Sun Ta-cheng. The ROC government has already promised to expand a scholarship program for Guatemalan students studying in Taiwan, and provide financial and technical assistance for the development of basic agricultural and information and communications technology infrastructure in the country.
The Bureau of Foreign Trade held a cross-strait trade gathering at the Taipei World Trade Center’s Nangang Exhibition Hall Dec. 14, with 222 mainland Chinese, Macau and Hong Kong buyers and distributors and over 400 Taiwanese manufacturers taking part. More than 1,800 one-on-one trade meetings took place between companies from the two sides during the event, held to help businesses take advantage of the new opportunities under the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). (SB)