韓國瑜： 感謝歐洲商會建言 盼台歐高等教育有更多交流
President Han, “Appreciates ECCT suggestions and looks forward to more exchanges in higher education”
立法院韓國瑜院長於本（3月27）日下午2點在本院江啟臣副院長、周萬來秘書長、國際事務處林晨富處長等人陪同下，於本院行政大樓2樓大會客室接見「歐洲在台商務協會訪問團」尹容理事長一行6人。
On March 27, President Daniel K.Y. Han of the Legislative Yuan received at 2:00 p.m. a courtesy call from Chairman Giuseppe Izzo of the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT), along with five members of the Chamber. The meeting was held at the reception hall on the 2nd floor of the administration building at the Legislative Yuan, and the President was accompanied by Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang, Secretary-General Chou Chester W.L., and International Affairs Department Director Calvin C.F.
韓院長致詞表示，非常歡迎尹容理事長及「歐洲在台商務協會(以下稱歐洲商會)訪問團」的重要成員𦲷臨立法院訪問。他提到，2023年歐盟是我國第4大貿易夥伴；至今（2024）年2月底，歐洲各國對台累計投資金額達723億美元，接近各國來台投資總額的三分之一。韓院長並分享在其成長過程中，當時的台灣民眾普遍認為歐洲對我國來說位處偏遠，彼此陌生，但近年來雙邊交流日趨密切，我國國民透過觀光旅遊、文化交流及經貿往來已加深了對歐洲國家的認識，不僅拉近了彼此心理上的距離，也意識到歐洲對台灣的重要性。
President Han started by welcoming Chairman Izzo and members of the ECCT to the Legislative Yuan and pointing out that the EU was Taiwan’s fourth largest trading partner in 2023; as of the end of February 2024, the amount of cumulative investment from European countries in Taiwan has reached US$72.3 billion, which was close to one-third of the total foreign investment in Taiwan. President Han also shared that when he was little, people in Taiwan generally saw Europe as a remote place, and there was not much known to each other. However, bilateral exchanges have increased in recent years; through tourism endeavors, cultural exchanges, and economic and trade initiatives, Taiwan’s citizens have had a better understanding of European countries. These achievements not only bring the two places closer to each other in idea, but also make clear the importance of Europe.
韓院長續稱，在今年元月我國第16任正、副總統及第11屆立法委員改選後，立法院的政治生態有了巨大的轉變，展現出不同於以往的民主風貌。本屆新科立法委員有55席，女性委員占總席次的41%。過去8年，民進黨是國會最大黨且擁有過半席次，因此相關政策只要民進黨同意，比較容易推動。但現在三黨不過半，任何議案都需取得三黨共識才可能通過。至於歐洲商會「2024建議書」中所強調台灣面對的經濟復甦重點，主要在於改善「再生能源」、「人才培育」及「國際化」等三個問題，他表示贊同並引述《論語》，益者三友為「友直、友諒、友多聞」，因此歐洲商會對立法院的相關建言，相信各黨派立委都會虛心聆聽。
President Han continued to state that after the elections of Taiwan’s 16th-term President and Vice president and the 11th Legislature, the new Legislature brought tremendous changes to the political environment where democracy looks very different than it was in the past. Among the 55 new legislators, female members account for 41%. Over the past eight years, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had the majority of the seats, which was also over half, in the Parliament; therefore, it was easier to promote and pass the intended policies as long as the DPP agreed. In comparison, the new Legislature today comprises members from three parties, with none of which accounts for over half of the seats, so any bill will require unanimous consent from the three parties to be passed. On the other hand, the ECCT’s 2024 Position Papers point out issues and recommendations in three main areas: energy, talent, and internationalization, for Taiwan’s course for economic revival. President Han agreed with these recommendations and quoted The Analects of Confucius, which recommends friends that are upright, honest, and knowledgeable, to express that suggestions and advice from the ECCT are always welcome and will be taken into account with an open mind by legislators from all parties.
尹容理事長首先恭喜韓院長當選榮膺新職，並憶及曾與韓院長於高雄市長任內及江副院長擔任國民黨主席時見過面，今日再晤，倍感親切。尹理事長表示，歐洲商會是歐洲各國企業在台灣的代表，會員已超過1,000人。他們的主要目標之一就是確保歐洲企業對台灣的投資環境能保持正面的看法，目前歐洲企業對台投資金額已超越了美國及日本對台投資的總和，因此歐洲商會對此成績感到相當滿意。尹理事長強調，不論台灣的政治環境如何變化，台灣不但擁有吸引外商的半導體產業及優秀的工程師，且投資環境良好，勢能持續吸引更多歐洲企業到台灣投資。
In his remarks, Chairman Izzo first congratulated President Han for taking the office at the Legislative Yuan and expressed his delight to see President Han and Vice President Chiang again. Chairman Izzo recalled having met with Han when he served as the mayor of Kaohsiung and Chiang when he was the Chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT). The ECCT comprises representatives of the European companies in Taiwan, with over 1,000 committee members; one of their goals is to ensure that the investment environment in Taiwan stays promising to European companies. At present, the amount of investment by European companies in Taiwan has exceeded the combined amount by the United States and Japan, which is a satisfactory result to the ECCT. Chairman Izzo stressed that regardless of Taiwan’s political environment, this island boasts not only a semiconductor industry that attracts foreign investors but also professional engineers; there is also an attractive investment climate for investors from European companies.
尹容理事長也表示，他們注意到台灣半導體大廠台積電開始在歐洲投資，2023年初台灣對歐洲直接投資金額約為54億美元，到年底歷年累計投資金額已達187億美元，可見台灣對歐洲的投資大幅增加，歐洲商會樂見並支持此一正面發展。他續稱，歐洲商會每年向台灣政府提出近百項建言，其中約20%的建言自提出的第一年起就獲採納或解決，這種行政效率相當驚人，讓全球各國商會深感欣羨，都認為歐洲商會與台灣政府保持了絕佳的互動關係。他們雖然認為台灣需逐步採行國際標準，讓台灣與國際市場完全接軌，但他們也認知到台灣人民不斷在進步中，歐洲商會也樂見此一發展。
The ECCT has also noticed that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Taiwan’s leading manufacturer of semiconductor, has begun its investment in the factory in Europe. In early 2023, Taiwan’s direct investment in Europe amounted to approximately US$5.4 billion. By the end of the year, the cumulative investment amount over the years had reached US$18.7 billion. This shows that Taiwan’s investment in Europe has increased significantly, which is a positive trend that the ECCT supports and looks forward to. Chairman Izzo continued to point out that the ECCT makes nearly a hundred recommendations to the Taiwanese government every year, about 20% of which will have been adopted or fulfilled the first year they are raised; this administrative efficiency is quite amazing and widely praised by chambers of commerce of different nations, which all witness the great interaction between the Taiwan government and the ECCT. These foreign chambers of commerce believe that Taiwan should gradually adopt international standards to ready itself for full integration to the global market; on the other hand, they also realize that the people of Taiwan are making continuous progress, which is also encouraged by the ECCT.
江副院長認同意尹容理事長所言並表示，歐洲商會對於台灣政府相關施政作為具有極高的影響力。雖然我國與世界上多數國家沒有邦交，但台灣企業仍能與各國政府及民間企業保持良好互動關係，乃因台歐共享自由及民主價值。他認為，台歐仍有加強雙邊投資及經貿往來的空間，現在台灣在安全議題上雖備受國際關注，但相信只要各國持續加碼對台投資，讓台灣與國際市場緊密接軌，就更能確保台灣的安全，也符合各國的利益。
Vice President Chiang agreed with the statements by Chairman Izzo and expressed that the ECCT has been quite influential to the policy making and implementation by the Taiwan government. Despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Taiwan and most nations around the world, Taiwanese companies still maintain close ties with foreign governments and businesses from the private sector, due to the universal values, such as the respect for freedom and democracy, shared by Taiwan and European countries. Vice President Chiang believes that there is still room for more investment and economic and trade exchanges between Taiwan and Europe. Although Taiwan has attracted international attention on security issues in recent years, he believes that as long as countries around the world continue to increase investment in Taiwan and to include Taiwan in the international market, it will not only guarantee regional stability but also safeguard the interests of all stakeholders.
雙邊交流時，歐洲商會何飛逸執行長特別提到希望台灣政府為「2050淨零排放」政策提出具體方案，因為歐盟與台灣所設定的淨零排放期程一致，但目前尚未看到我國政府提出具體的的政策規畫。此外，他也憂心台灣人口結構變化，包括人才出走、生育率低及人口老化等趨勢，都會削弱台灣的國際競爭力。歐洲商會其他與會代表另就電動汽車、能源基礎建設、數位轉型、用路安全、外籍配偶在台待遇等議題與韓院長及江副院長交換意見。韓院長則特別表達他對台灣與歐洲知名大學加強文教交流的想法，希望歐洲商會能鼓勵歐洲知名學府來台設點，將有於促進台歐雙方人民及文教交流，共創雙贏。拜會歷約30分鐘，氣氛友好愉快，雙方在互贈紀念品及合影後圓滿結束。
During the exchange from both sides, the ECCT CEO Freddie Höglund specifically expressed hope that the Taiwan government will be able to propose a specific plan and details for policies regarding net-zero emissions by 2050. The reason that CEO Höglund brought this up was that the timeframe set by the EU is consistent with that by Taiwan, but the ECCT has not seen any specific policies formulated by our government so far. On another note, changes in Taiwan’s demographic structure, including those from brain drain, low fertility rates, and an aging population, will weaken Taiwan’s competitiveness on the world stage. Other attending members of the ECCT also shared views with President Han and Vice President Chiang on topics including electric vehicles, energy infrastructure, digital transformation, road safety, and the life of foreign spouses living in Taiwan. In response, President Han also talked about his views on increasing cultural and educational exchanges through prestigious universities in Europe; it is hoped that the ECCT could be the bridge to introduce world-renowned institutes from Europe to set up branch campuses in Taiwan, which could facilitate not only people-to-people interactions but also cultural and educational partnerships that benefit the both sides. The event concluded after 30 minutes in warmth and joy, with the exchange of tokens of appreciation and group photos taken.
