New Taipei City Mayor Recruits Business in Tokyo
Tokyo,March 2 – New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu launched a major business recruitment activity in Tokyo on Friday, unveiling the Lin-Kou outlet development project in a seminar here which attracted hundreds of potential investors from banking, real estate and trade industries.
Japanese businesses, including major real estate related firms such as Mori Building Co. Ltd, and construction firm Kajima Corporation, showed strong interest in the development project, and many of them followed up with further inquires on the spot.
Chu also talked with Japanese mainstream media, including business daily Nikkei and newspapers Yomiuri and Asahi to reiterate New Taipei City’s unique advantages in helping promote Japan-Taiwan businesses ties.
At the seminar, Chu highlighted the fact that Taiwan could play an important role in helping Japanese companies entering the Mainland China market, especially after the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) between Taiwan and China in 2010, as well as the investment and aviation open-skies agreements reached between Japan and Taiwan last year.
“New Taipei City is the largest municipality in Taiwan with 8 million people living and working here", Chu said. “Therefore, we welcome you to help us in developing the city, and the city government will provide all we can do to help you realize your investment plans.”
Randy Chiang, Commissioner in charge of New Taipei City’s economic development, detailed the business recruitment project in Lin Kou. “Taiwan doesn’t yet have a genuine outlet facility for retailers, therefore, we welcome Japanese businesses and the expertise and experience they can provide,” Chiang said.
Chiang explained that most successful outlets in Japan are all located near airports, such as the one in Makuhari, near Narita Airport. Therefore, he said, the Lin Kou area has the best quality to be an outlet center since it is only a 10-15 minute ride to either downtown Taipei or the international Taoyuan airport.
The Lin Kou outlet development project will be a BOT project, or Build-Operate-Transfer, with an initial concession period of 50 years and extendable to 70 years.
In the inquiry session after the seminar, questions were focus on the specific procedures for the investment project, with many participants impressed about the incentives offered on the cost of land rental.
Famous architect Paul Noritaka Tange, President of Tange Associates and the son of the legendary Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, participated in the seminar. A frequent visitor to Taiwan, Tange was impressed with the energy of New Taipei City, and believes a multi-function center such as the Lin Kou outlet project could smoothly combine living and working in the city. However, with the boom of eco-concepts, he also hopes that New Taipei City will maintain its natural resources and establish its own style and characteristics among major cities around the world.
