US-Taiwan Business Council
Encyclopedia
The US-Taiwan Business Council (Traditional Chinese
: 美台商業協會; Pinyin
: Měi Tái Shāng Yè Xíe Hùi) is a membership-based, non-profit organization
founded in 1976 to foster trade and business relations between the United States
and Taiwan
.
Council members consist of private companies with business interests in Taiwan, and range in size from one-person consulting firms to large multinational corporation
s. Because the organization reflects the views and concerns of an extensive group of US businesses, the Council is generally considered to be one of the most influential private organizations playing a part in the unofficial relationship between the two economies.
The organization is particularly well known in the Defense & Security
community, as it is the host of an annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference. The inaugural conference in St. Petersburg, Florida
in 2002 brought Taiwan's Minister of National Defense
to the U.S. for the first time since 1979.
- is to develop private economic, commercial and financial relationships, to foster investment, trade, and commerce between the United States and Taiwan.http://www.us-taiwan.org
and strategic business advice to companies looking to get established, or to expand, in the Taiwan market. Advocacy
work - on behalf of individual companies or on behalf of groups of members - can range from dealing with market access issues and equipment sales, to resolving contractual difficulties or attempting to change Taiwan government policies.
, Finance & Banking
, Defense & Security
, Semiconductors, PCs
, Intellectual property
, and Biotechnology
.
and Taiwan
each year. The two largest events are the annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference (美台國防工業會議) and the Taiwan + China Semiconductor Industry Conference. Tang Yiau-ming, Taiwan's Minister of National Defense, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz
and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly
attended the 2002 Defense Industry Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida
. Taiwan Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min attended the 2008 Defense Industry Conference on Amelia Island
, Florida.
and the Executive Branch frequently call upon the organization to express its views on the US-Taiwan business relationship.
Executive Committee
Board of Directors
President
Vice President
Staff in functional departments
President: Rupert Hammond-Chambers
Vice President: Lotta Danielsson-Murphy
Director of Finance & Administration: Christine Messick
formed the organization in Chicago, Illinois as the “USA-ROC Economic Council.” For the next 14 years he served as Chairman of the organization and helped guide its development. William Morell
was elected President the same year.
The organization quickly got involved with the commercial and political spheres in both the United States
and Taiwan
, and it played an important role in the drafting and passing of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA)
in 1979, the legislation that guides US-Taiwan relations in liu of official diplomatic recognition
.
to Beijing
, the Council took on greater importance as it continued to work towards strengthening trade and communications with Taiwan on behalf of American companies.
("Cap") succeeded David Kennedy as Chairman of the organization and David Laux was elected to take the place of outgoing President William Morell. The change in leadership also brought with it a change in venue, as the Council relocated its office from Chicago
to Washington, D.C.
In 1991, the Council formed its “Chairman’s Circle,” a group of member companies with heavily vested business interests in Taiwan. In 1995, Dan Tellep was elected Chairman as Caspar Weinberger rotated out of the post. Soon afterwards the “USA-ROC Economic Council” changed its name to the “US-ROC (Taiwan) Business Council.”
William P. Clark
was elected Chairman in January 1997. Later that year, Senators Frank H. Murkowski of Alaska
and John D. Rockefeller, IV
of West Virginia
became Honorary Co-chairmen. The Council also moved once more to Arlington, Virginia to share a floor with the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT)
, the entity that - under contract to the U.S. State Department - manages America’s unofficial relationship with the island. Frank C. Carlucci replaced William Clark as Chairman of the organization in 1999.
was elected as Chairman and Senator Conrad Burns
of Montana
took the place of Frank Murkowski
as Honorary Co-chairman.
In 2005, the Council gained new leadership with the election of Senator William Brock
to the Chairmanship and Vance D. Coffman
to the position of Vice Chairman. In 2007, Senator Lisa Murkowski
of Alaska
took over the Honorary Co-Chairman seat vacated by Conrad Burns
. In 2008, Paul D. Wolfowitz
joined the Council as its Chairman, succeeding Bill Brock
.
Arlington, Virginia 22209
USA
Phone: (703) 465-2930
Fax: (703) 465-2937
Email: Council(at)us-Taiwan.org
as a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Council's "sister organization" in Taiwan is the ROC-USA Business Council. During the 1980s and 1990s, the two organizations co-hosted conferences - called "Annual Joint Business Conferences" - which were held on alternate years in either Taiwan or the US. The conferences served as opportunities for high-level bilateral dialogue, and often brought United States Cabinet
officers to Taiwan. This tradition ended in 2004.
Traditional Chinese character
Traditional Chinese characters refers to Chinese characters in any character set which does not contain newly created characters or character substitutions performed after 1946. It most commonly refers to characters in the standardized character sets of Taiwan, of Hong Kong, or in the Kangxi...
: 美台商業協會; Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Měi Tái Shāng Yè Xíe Hùi) is a membership-based, non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
founded in 1976 to foster trade and business relations between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
.
Council members consist of private companies with business interests in Taiwan, and range in size from one-person consulting firms to large multinational corporation
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
s. Because the organization reflects the views and concerns of an extensive group of US businesses, the Council is generally considered to be one of the most influential private organizations playing a part in the unofficial relationship between the two economies.
The organization is particularly well known in the Defense & Security
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
community, as it is the host of an annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference. The inaugural conference in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
in 2002 brought Taiwan's Minister of National Defense
Military of the Republic of China
The Republic of China Armed Forces encompass the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Military Police Force of the Republic of China . It is a military establishment, which accounted for 16.8% of the central budget in the fiscal year of 2003...
to the U.S. for the first time since 1979.
Mandate
The mission of the US-Taiwan Business Council - as defined in its By-LawsBylaw
By-law can refer to a law of local or limited application passed under the authority of a higher law specifying what things may be regulated by the by-law...
- is to develop private economic, commercial and financial relationships, to foster investment, trade, and commerce between the United States and Taiwan.http://www.us-taiwan.org
Consulting
TacticalMilitary tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
and strategic business advice to companies looking to get established, or to expand, in the Taiwan market. Advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
work - on behalf of individual companies or on behalf of groups of members - can range from dealing with market access issues and equipment sales, to resolving contractual difficulties or attempting to change Taiwan government policies.
Ebulletins
Weekly email bulletins examine recent US-Taiwan-China business, economic, and political developments. Issues covered include General BusinessBusiness
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, Finance & Banking
Financial services
Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are credit unions, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies,...
, Defense & Security
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
, Semiconductors, PCs
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, Intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
, and Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
.
Quarterly reports
Quarterly publications include an in-depth analysis on recent trends in a sector, and contain contact information, statistics, and other relevant data. Quarterly reports are produced on defense and security, and on semiconductors.Events
Conferences, seminars, receptions, and other events are held throughout the U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
each year. The two largest events are the annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference (美台國防工業會議) and the Taiwan + China Semiconductor Industry Conference. Tang Yiau-ming, Taiwan's Minister of National Defense, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz
Paul Wolfowitz
Paul Dundes Wolfowitz is a former United States Ambassador to Indonesia, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, President of the World Bank, and former dean of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University...
and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly
James A. Kelly
James Andrew Kelly was Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs . President George W. Bush nominated Kelly on April 3, 2001; he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 26, 2001 and sworn in on May 1, 2001....
attended the 2002 Defense Industry Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
. Taiwan Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min attended the 2008 Defense Industry Conference on Amelia Island
Amelia Island
Amelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida. It is long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. Amelia Island is situated off the coast in Nassau County,...
, Florida.
Relationship building
The organization cultivates an extensive network of contacts and relationships within the U.S. and Taiwan governments, as well as within the private sector and among non-government organizations with an interest in Taiwan. Both the United States CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and the Executive Branch frequently call upon the organization to express its views on the US-Taiwan business relationship.
Organizational structure
ChairmanExecutive Committee
Board of Directors
President
Vice President
Staff in functional departments
Current staff
Chairman: Paul D. WolfowitzPaul Wolfowitz
Paul Dundes Wolfowitz is a former United States Ambassador to Indonesia, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, President of the World Bank, and former dean of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University...
President: Rupert Hammond-Chambers
Vice President: Lotta Danielsson-Murphy
Director of Finance & Administration: Christine Messick
1970s
In 1976, David M. KennedyDavid M. Kennedy
David Matthew Kennedy was an American businessman, economist and Cabinet secretary.Born in Randolph, Utah, he attended public school and graduated from Weber College, then a Mormon college, in 1928. He served a two-year mission, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to England...
formed the organization in Chicago, Illinois as the “USA-ROC Economic Council.” For the next 14 years he served as Chairman of the organization and helped guide its development. William Morell
William Morell
William Morell was a writer, publishing only four known books in his career. The first was Daimyo, a story of a samurai traveling with his Mistress, a Dutch countess...
was elected President the same year.
The organization quickly got involved with the commercial and political spheres in both the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and it played an important role in the drafting and passing of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA)
Taiwan Relations Act
The Taiwan Relations Act is an act of the United States Congress passed in 1979 after the establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and the breaking of relations between the United States and the Republic of China on the island of Taiwan by President Jimmy Carter...
in 1979, the legislation that guides US-Taiwan relations in liu of official diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
.
1980s
The 1980s brought the Council an expanded membership base and deeper ties with business and political leaders in Taiwan. Since U.S. diplomatic recognition had been transferred from TaipeiTaipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, the Council took on greater importance as it continued to work towards strengthening trade and communications with Taiwan on behalf of American companies.
1990s
In 1990, Caspar WeinbergerCaspar Weinberger
Caspar Willard "Cap" Weinberger , was an American politician, vice president and general counsel of Bechtel Corporation, and Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan from January 21, 1981, until November 23, 1987, making him the third longest-serving defense secretary to date, after...
("Cap") succeeded David Kennedy as Chairman of the organization and David Laux was elected to take the place of outgoing President William Morell. The change in leadership also brought with it a change in venue, as the Council relocated its office from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In 1991, the Council formed its “Chairman’s Circle,” a group of member companies with heavily vested business interests in Taiwan. In 1995, Dan Tellep was elected Chairman as Caspar Weinberger rotated out of the post. Soon afterwards the “USA-ROC Economic Council” changed its name to the “US-ROC (Taiwan) Business Council.”
William P. Clark
William P. Clark, Jr.
William Patrick Clark, Jr. , American politician, served under President Ronald Reagan as the Deputy Secretary of State from 1981 to 1982, United States National Security Advisor from 1982 to 1983, and the Secretary of the Interior from 1983 until 1985.- Life and career :A devout Catholic, former...
was elected Chairman in January 1997. Later that year, Senators Frank H. Murkowski of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and John D. Rockefeller, IV
Jay Rockefeller
John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV is the senior United States Senator from West Virginia. He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as Governor of West Virginia, a position he held from 1977 to 1985...
of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
became Honorary Co-chairmen. The Council also moved once more to Arlington, Virginia to share a floor with the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT)
American Institute in Taiwan
The American Institute in Taiwan is a non-profit, public corporation established under the auspices of the United States government to serve its interests in Taiwan...
, the entity that - under contract to the U.S. State Department - manages America’s unofficial relationship with the island. Frank C. Carlucci replaced William Clark as Chairman of the organization in 1999.
2000s
In 2000, David Laux stepped down and Rupert Hammond-Chambers was elected as the youngest-ever President. In 2001, the name of the organization was again changed to “US-Taiwan Business Council.” In 2003, William CohenWilliam Cohen
William Sebastian Cohen is an author and American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. A Republican, Cohen served as Secretary of Defense under Democratic President Bill Clinton.-Early life and education:...
was elected as Chairman and Senator Conrad Burns
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
took the place of Frank Murkowski
Frank Murkowski
Francis Hughes Murkowski is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He was a United States Senator from Alaska from 1981 until 2002 and the eighth Governor of Alaska from 2002 until 2006.- Early life and career :...
as Honorary Co-chairman.
In 2005, the Council gained new leadership with the election of Senator William Brock
Bill Brock
William Emerson "Bill" Brock III is a former Republican United States senator from Tennessee, having served from 1971 to 1977. He is the grandson of William Emerson Brock I, who was a Democratic U.S. senator from Tennessee from 1929 to 1931.-Early life and career:Brock was a native of Chattanooga,...
to the Chairmanship and Vance D. Coffman
Vance D. Coffman
Vance D. Coffman was the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation. He was elected to the Board of Directors of 3M on 12 May 2009.-Biography:...
to the position of Vice Chairman. In 2007, Senator Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann Murkowski is the senior U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska and a member of the Republican Party. She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski. After losing a Republican primary in 2010, she became the second person ever to win a U.S...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
took over the Honorary Co-Chairman seat vacated by Conrad Burns
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
. In 2008, Paul D. Wolfowitz
Paul Wolfowitz
Paul Dundes Wolfowitz is a former United States Ambassador to Indonesia, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, President of the World Bank, and former dean of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University...
joined the Council as its Chairman, succeeding Bill Brock
Bill Brock
William Emerson "Bill" Brock III is a former Republican United States senator from Tennessee, having served from 1971 to 1977. He is the grandson of William Emerson Brock I, who was a Democratic U.S. senator from Tennessee from 1929 to 1931.-Early life and career:Brock was a native of Chattanooga,...
.
Contact information
1700 North Moore Street, Suite 1703Arlington, Virginia 22209
USA
Phone: (703) 465-2930
Fax: (703) 465-2937
Email: Council(at)us-Taiwan.org
Miscellaneous
The Council is incorporated in the District of Columbia and is designated by the Internal Revenue ServiceInternal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
as a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Council's "sister organization" in Taiwan is the ROC-USA Business Council. During the 1980s and 1990s, the two organizations co-hosted conferences - called "Annual Joint Business Conferences" - which were held on alternate years in either Taiwan or the US. The conferences served as opportunities for high-level bilateral dialogue, and often brought United States Cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
officers to Taiwan. This tradition ended in 2004.