Of late, Taiwan has undergone great change, says Scott Fraser, who came back as executive director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei after an absence of eight years.

"This change, and the potential for even closer economic relations between Taiwan and China will allow Taiwan to position itself as a bridge to the rest of Asia," Fraser points out.

For one thing, the city of Taipei has been greatly modernized over the past eight years, Canada's top diplomat in Taiwan says.

There are so many new buildings and an expanded mass rapid transit system.

When the Frasers left Taiwan in 2001, Taipei 101 was a mere " Taipei 50." The changes in relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have also been impressive. Direct flights to the mainland of China were only a dream when the Frasers were last in Taipei.

"And this is where I see the potential for an even larger and more important relationship between Canada and Taiwan," Fraser stresses. "Canadian companies are seeking to enhance their commercial relationships with Asia, and Taiwan may be the perfect platform from which to achieve this," he adds.

That means the commercial relationship between Canada and Taiwan will become increasingly complex. "It will include exports and imports," Fraser goes on, "but, to develop a truly mutually beneficial relationship, it also needs to include investment, investment in both directions as well as joint collaboration on research and development leading to innovation and new products." The people of Taiwan know full well their prosperity depends on their ability to compete internationally. Taiwan also remains one of the leaders in the development of leading edge technologies.

Fraser notes six sectors of the economy where Taiwan plans to concentrate in the years ahead to increase its international competitiveness. They are biotechnology, tourism, green energy, medical care, new agriculture, and creative cultural industries.

Efforts in the six sectors will enable Taiwan to chalk up at least NT$1.35 trillion in sales in four years and create more than 700,000 new jobs.

Many of these sectors are complementary to Canadian expertise, Fraser continues. "It will be our job to find those specific areas for collaboration, inform Canadian companies about these areas, and let you know where Canadian expertise lies," he declares.

The Frasers have fond memories of their previous stay in Taiwan. "We are both very pleased to be back in Taiwan," he says on behalf of his wife Carol-Ann.

"We always felt very 'at home' when we lived here before," Fraser says. "The welcome that we have received since our arrival a month and a half ago makes us pleased that we decided to come back to Taiwan," he admits.

Before he came to Taipei, Fraser was Canadian ambassador to Finland. " I decided to leave Finland early when this job (in Taipei) became available," he says. I know that we made the right decision." (By Joe Hong)