The Taiwan WTO and RTA Center
Guiding principles
Taiwan joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the 144th Member on January 1, 2002. Given the fact that the WTO involves a wide range of complex issues and tasks, the Taiwan government started to initiate the establishment of a research institute that not only provides WTO research capacity but also undertakes WTO-related training, database and promotional activities. Under the leadership of Mr. Vincent Siew, former Chairman of Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER), the Taiwan WTO Center was established on September 8, 2003 as the only government-supported WTO research and advisory institution in Taiwan.
Research focus and objectives
The tasks undertaken by the WTO Center fall into four main categories: policy research, legal advisory and consulting, international trade database, policy promotion activities and human resources development. The objectives of the Taiwan WTO Center are to strengthen the understanding and awareness of WTO/FTA-related issues, to develop trade negotiation skills, and to build up Taiwan’s capacity to participate in international trade affairs. In terms of research focuses, the key research areas for the WTO Center include multilateral trade regimes and negotiations under the auspices of the WTO, and issues related to the development of regional integration and bilateral trade agreements. Specific trade topics covered by the WTO Center’s research professionals include the following nine issues: agriculture, market access for non-agricultural products, service trade liberalization, trade rules, the relationship between international trade and the environment, the relationship between trade and development, dispute resolution, intellectual property rights, and trade facilitation. The WTO Center has also undertaken research on a number of trade-related issues that have not been addressed in the Doha Round negotiations, including rules of origin, animal and plant product sanitary inspection, state enterprises, the balance of payments, and technical barriers to trade, and so on. As regards its involvement in enhancing Taiwan’s capacity to participate in various international trade fora, the WTO Center has established a major international trade database. The Center also publishes a number of publications and a weekly e-newsletter. Several WTO- and FTA-related international conferences or workshops are also organized each year.
Experts
| Name | Position | Education | Research Field |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeh, Chun-Hsien |
|
Ph.D. in Economics, University of Rochester (2002) | Fair allocation mechanism design Game Theory Microeconomics and Mathematical Economics Political and Public Economy |
| Yen, Huai-Shing |
|
S.J.D, University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S.A | International Trade Law International Taxation Trade Remedy System International Investment Law |
| Lee, Roy Chun |
|
PhD in Public Policy, Australian National University, Australia | Trade in Services Regional integration Communications Convergence Regulatory and Competition Policy |
| Hsu, Kristy Tsun Tzu |
|
L.L.M, Soochow University, Taiwan | International Organizations International Trade Law Dispute Settlement Gender and Development Issues |
| Jiang, Wun-Ji |
|
Ph.D., Department of Agricultural Economics, National Taiwan University, R.O.C. | Analysis of Trade Policy Agricultural Trade Applied Microeconometrics Economics of Gender |
| Yang, Ming-Min |
|
Ph.D., Political Science and International Relations, | Economic Statecraft Economic Security International Political Relations Politics in East Asia |
| Wang, Yu-Shung |
|
Master of Law, Soochow University | International Trade Law |
| Li, Yi-Ching |
|
Graduate Institution of Industrial Economics, National Central University | International Trade Regional Economic Integration |
| Hsu, Yu-Chia |
|
MSc in Public Policy, University College London (UCL), UK | International Trade WTO NAMA issues |
| Su, Yi-Wen |
|
Master in Ethnology, National Chengchi University, Taiwan. | Trade & Development International Relations Cultural anthropology Islamic Politics and Social Culture Studies Korean Studies |
| Cheng, Yun-Hsing |
|
Master of Law, Soochow University | International Trade Law International Investment Law |
Contact Infomation
Taiwan WTO and RTA Center
Tel：(8862)2735-6006 ext.306
Fax：(8862)2377-269
Website: http://web.wtocenter.org.tw/EN/Default.aspx