January 4, 2017
No.003
A five-member delegation from the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic led by Mr. Giuseppe Romanini is visiting the Republic of China (Taiwan) from January 4 to 10, 2017, at the invitation of the ROC government.
The purpose of this visit is to gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s political and economic development, as well as of the current development of cross-strait relations, so as to enhance cooperation between Taiwan and Italy in various fields.
The delegation will call on Vice President of the Legislative Yuan Tsai Chi-chang and Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council Chang Hsiao-yueh; call at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Council of Agriculture; and visit sites of cultural and economic interest such as the National Palace Museum and Taipei 101. In addition, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Chih-Chung Wu will host a reception in their honor.
Mr. Romanini, a member of the Italy-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, previously came to Taiwan in 2015 to participate in the fifth Taiwan-Italy forum for economic, industrial, and financial cooperation. The other members of the delegation are visiting Taiwan for the first time, including members of the Chamber of Deputies Mr. Francesco Prina and Mr. Fabio Lavagno, together with Mrs. Romanini and Mrs. Prina. The three members of the Chamber of Deputies are all prominent figures in the Democratic Party, which is the largest political party in Italy’s current ruling coalition. They serve as an important link of friendship to Taiwan in the Italian parliament.
In recent years, mutual visits, trade, investment, as well as cultural and tourism exchanges, between Taiwan and Italy have grown steadily. Italy is currently Taiwan’s fifth-largest trading partner in Europe. In addition, a bilateral arrangement on avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion took effect on January 1, 2016, which has had a beneficial effect on trade and investment relations, technological exchanges, and tax cooperation. (E)