August 21, 2016
No.182
A group of 12 members of the Landtag of the Free State of Saxony, Federal Republic of Germany, led by Hannelore Dietzschold, is paying a visit to the Republic of China (Taiwan) from August 21 to 26, 2016.
The purpose of the visit is to gain a better understanding of the operations of the ROC Executive Yuan, Legislative Yuan, and Control Yuan, as well as the petition and appeal process used by local governments and councils. Delegation members will get a first-hand look at the operation of Germany’s representative office and other institutions in Taiwan, as well as Taiwan’s political, economic, and social developments in order to bolster bilateral cooperation and exchanges. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its welcome of this visit.
The delegation will call at the Legislative Yuan, Control Yuan, Mainland Affairs Council, Council of Indigenous Peoples, Executive Yuan’s Legal Affairs Committee, New Taipei City Government, New Taipei City Council, the New Taipei City Government’s Wulai District Office, German Institute Taipei, German Trade Office Taipei, and Goethe Institute. Members will also attend a luncheon hosted by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chih-Chung Wu, and visit various sites of cultural or economic interest including the National Palace Museum, Taipei 101, Taiwan Excellence Pavilion, Lungshan Temple, the Wulai Atayal Museum, and sites related to the automobile industry.
Bilateral trade between Taiwan and Germany reached US$14.6 billion in 2015. The two countries enjoy frequent and close exchanges in such fields as trade and investment, science and technology, culture, and tourism.
Located in eastern Germany with a size of 18,420 square kilometers and a population of almost four million, the Free State of Saxony has been designated in recent years by the federal government as Germany’s Silicon Valley. The Saxony government has also adopted various innovative economic policies to promote industry-academia cooperation, which has attracted investment by related industries in various European countries. Many renowned brands, such as BMW, Hitachi Automotive, DHL, Dow Chemical, and Infineon have established factories in Saxony.
In addition to Mr. Dietzschold, the delegation comprises Sven Liebhauser, Lothar Bienst, Holger Gasse, Andreas Heinz, Stephan Hösl, Daniela Kuge, Aloysius Mikwauschk, Peter Wilhelm Patt, Ronny Wähner, and Oliver Wehner, as well as Christian von Skrbensky, a councilor of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany at the Saxon Parliament. (E)