Tsai looking to overseas entrepreneurs to lead expansion into Africa market

Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Monday that she hoped to see overseas-based Taiwanese businesspeople working with domestic companies to help Taiwan extend its reach into African markets.

"Taiwan's Overseas Community Affairs Council is planning to host a forum on the topic on Nov. 27, with the hope that Taiwan's overseas businesspeople will use their experience to help guide the expansion of Taiwanese industries into Africa," Tsai said.

Tsai made the comments in a meeting with members of the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women, a group that was founded in the Californian city of San Francisco by businesswomen from Taiwan who are based overseas.

The federation's newly appointed president Sherry Chen (陳阡蕙) is an accomplished businesswoman in South Africa and has served three terms in the parliament there.

Chen is an "important bridge between Taiwan and African businesses," Tsai said, expressing the hope that under Chen's leadership, members of the federation would work with companies in Taiwan to expand their reach into the African market.

According to data from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, trade between Taiwan and Africa accounted for only 0.6 percent of Taiwan's total foreign trade in the first eight months of the year.

During the meeting, Tsai also said she was relying on the members of the group to assist with the Taiwan government's efforts to negotiate a trade deal with the United States.

Members of the federation visited the U.S. Congress in 2018 to advocate for closer bilateral trade relations with Taiwan, Tsai said, adding that she hoped such efforts would continue.