JEDDAH, 7 March — Taiwan representative office’s new building and an exhibition of Taiwanese products were opened here last night. Taipei Economic and Cultural Office’s Riyadh representative Wang Wei-chieh and Jeddah representative Chin-Ray Liu took part in the opening ceremony. Local officials and businessmen were present on the occasion, which also marked a reception to the 30-member Taiwanese Haj mission.
Gen. Omar Ted Mah, who heads the mission, said this year’s Haj group was bigger and younger than last year when 25 pilgrims came from Taiwan. “After the successful Haj, the group returns home in three days,” he said, adding that Taiwan’s 23 million population had only 50,000 Muslim. “We’ve five mosques — two in the north and one each in the northwest, central region and the south,” Mah added
“Taiwan’s Islamic activities are in full swing round the year with educational programs, summer camps and weekend classes for children,” said Mah who performed the Haj for the first time. He had visited the Kingdom in 1987 on business.
Liu said that for the last few years, the office had many plans to expand its working space. “With our commercial section elsewhere in the city, it was not convenient for our friends who are doing business with Taiwan. Since I came here last year, we’ve completed the new building with a very limited budget.”
Hundreds of catalogues depicting products manufactured in Taiwan are on display at the new hall. “Taiwan’s per capita income is $13,000 and it ranks the 15th largest trading country in the world. Taiwan became a member of he World Trade Organization recently. What’s more, Taiwan has integrated itself into the world economic system,” Liu added.
Liu said six months ago the office opened a Taiwan Center in the city that had been functioning like a club. “We also have a Sunday Chinese school in the premises. Every Thursday afternoon, after Chinese classes, there are sports activities such as table tennis, badminton and basketball as well as cultural activities.
Meanwhile, a big Taiwanese trade mission is scheduled to visit the Kingdom in May in the course of its tour of the Middle East-Gulf region that includes Iran, Kuwait and Jordan. This will be followed by visits of other Taiwanese trade missions to the Kingdom and the rest of the Middle East.
