July 25, 2016
No. 164
Councilors Antoine Barde, Vincent Maître, and Murat Julian Alder of the Grand Council of Geneva, Switzerland, will pay a visit to the Republic of China (Taiwan) from July 25 to 28, 2016. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chih-Chung Wu will host a luncheon to welcome them.
During their trip, the councilors will gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s current tax system, measures to stimulate the economy, pay-per-bag garbage collection, recycling of electronics, and transportation infrastructure. They will call at the Mainland Affairs Council, Environmental Protection Administration, Taxation Administration, Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taipei City government, Taipei City Council, and Trade Office of Swiss Industries.
In addition, the councilors will visit the National Palace Museum, Muzha Refuse Incineration Plant, Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation, Longshan Temple, Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan Excellence Pavilion, Taipei 101 Building, and National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. They will also fly to Kinmen to experience its rich cultural heritage.
The three councilors serve on committees for such issues as political rights, higher education, transportation, tax affairs, legal affairs, and judicial affairs. Councilor Barde paid an official visit to the ROC in 2010, and Councilor Alder came to Taiwan previously on vacation.
Taiwan and Switzerland have enjoyed robust relations in recent years. In particular, economic and trade relations have grown considerably, especially since the Taiwan-Switzerland Double Taxation Agreement entered into effect on December 13, 2011. Switzerland is Taiwan’s sixth-largest trading partner in Europe, after Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, and Italy, with two-way trade reaching US$2.2 billion last year. (E)