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Updated Monday, December 17, 2007 0:00 am TWN,



	TSMC Chairman Morris Chang is flanked by AmCham President Jane Hwang and Executive Director Richard R. Vuylsteke at the 2007 Annual General Meeting. Enlarge Photo

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AmCham Completes Another Solid Year

Largely as a result of that multitude of events, as well as AmCham’s vigorous efforts in lobbying for a more competitive business environment, membership in the Chamber has remained strong – allowing AmCham to retain its status as by far the largest, as well as the oldest and most influential, foreign business organization in the country. Asmus notes that while overall membership numbers were down very slightly in 2007 (perhaps because of a dues increase), a more significant indicator is that the most important category of Corporate Sustaining Members was much higher than forecast.

“We also benefited from continued strong support from our Australian, Canadian, European, Japanese, and Taiwanese member companies,” said Asmus. “Given how globalized the world economy has become, we’ve really started to think of ourselves in many ways as an international, not just American, chamber.”

On the advocacy side, AmCham’s efforts center around the Taiwan White Paper published each May. The contents of the White Paper, both the macro Overview and the separate position papers prepared by the Chamber’s various committees, provide the agenda for rounds of discussions with government officials for the following 12 months. A delegation of the Chamber leadership briefed Premier Chang Chun-hsiung, along with key members of his cabinet, on the highlights, and further sessions were held at individual ministries and agencies.

In June, as it does each year after publication of the White Paper, AmCham also sent a delegation to Washington, D.C. on its week-long “Doorknock” mission to exchange views with Congressmen and their staff, key executive branch officials, scholars, and think tank representatives. This year’s nine-member group was led by President Jane Hwang and conducted a total of 35 visits.

For AmCham’s highly acclaimed monthly magazine, Taiwan Business TOPICS, which is looked upon as a model by other chambers in the region, 2007 was also a year of achievement. Excerpts from the “Vision 2020” special issue published in November are included inside this supplement. Among the other cover subjects this year were reports on Taiwan’s aging population, flat-panel display and chemical industries, the banking sector, and Taipei architecture. Besides its regular issues, TOPICS publishes such special issues as Wine & Dine in Taiwan each January and Travel and Culture in June.

“In all aspects – from membership and programs to advocacy and publications – 2007 was another strong year that shows how well AmCham is serving its members,” said outgoing President Jane Hwang.

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