John Deng (鄧振中), Minister without Portfolio and head of the trade negotiations office.

Taipei, Oct. 22 (CNA) The Executive Yuan's Office of Trade Negotiations has printed a brochure to promote the government's New Southbound Policy, said John Deng (鄧振中), Minister without Portfolio and head of the trade negotiations office.

The 18-page booklet, printed in September in Chinese and English, has been distributed to foreign missions in Taiwan, including representative offices of countries targeted by the policy.

The brochure is designed to give foreign governments a better understanding of the New Southbound Policy, which was officially launched in September 2016, according to Deng.

The policy, which calls for the development of comprehensive relations with ASEAN members, South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand, while promoting regional exchanges and collaboration, is a priority for the government, according to the brochure.

The policy lays out five flagship projects and three potential-laden fields for collaboration and a budget of NT$7.19 billion has been earmarked for the next fiscal year, it states.

The five flagship projects span innovative industries; medical cooperation and industrial supply chains; policy forums and youth exchange platforms; regional agriculture and talent cultivation. The three potential-laden fields are e-commerce, infrastructure and tourism.

In the area of tourism, the government is looking to attract more visitors from the target countries by boosting the quality of related products and services, and expanding visa privileges, according to Deng.

The number of tourists from countries under the government's New Southbound Policy who visited Taiwan in 2016 reached 1.789 million, accounting for 17 percent of the total.

As the number of foreign tourist arrivals increases, the government aims to attract 2.50 million tourists from the 18 countries targeted by the policy to visit Taiwan by 2020, according to the brochure.

To promote tourism to Taiwan from New Southbound Policy countries, the Taiwan government has relaxed visa rules for individuals from the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India, effective from Aug. 1, 2016 and included the Philippines in its e-visa program on Oct. 7 last year, the brochure indicates.

(By Elaine Hou and Evelyn Kao)
Endiem/AW