Ho Mei-yueh, Taiwan’s minister of economic affairs talks to Dennis Engbarth about relations with China, financial reform and sustainable development measures.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs is responsible for policy implementation in a wide range of fields, from industrial development, energy and water conservancy to commerce and investment policy. After serving as vice-chairwoman for the Council for Economic Planning and Development during the first term of President Chen Shui-bian’s government, Ho Mei-yueh, 54, returned to the ministry as minister in May 2004.

Financial Supervisory Commission vice-chairwoman Susan Chang Hsiu-lien talks to Dennis Engbarth about the commission’s aims and activities.

Thomas Tung-liang Wu, chairman of Taishin International Bank, shares his thoughts on its future prospects and Taiwan’s financial market with Dennis Engbarth.
In 2004, the Taishin Financial Holding Company ranked second among Taiwan’s 14 financial holding companies in terms of after-tax net earnings and earnings per share. This can be put down to aggressive promotion, innovation and low non-performing loan ratios in credit cards and other consumer and corporate finance operations.

Taiwan’s global competitiveness ranking continues to improve but its public institutions and financial systems are not keeping pace, reports Dennis Engbarth.

While much has improved since 2001, the government still needs foreign assistance to maintain security amid bombings and riots.

Cambodia has made it through a tough time and come out the other side with a respectable degree of political stability – and microcredit lending, which provides much-needed loans to the poor, has emerged as a financial front-runner. Simon Montlake reports from Phnom Penh.

First MicroFinance Bank hopes to become a role model in providing loans to the poor in Pakistan. The bank’s president, Hussain Tejany, talks to The Banker.

A string of small securitisation deals is encouraging finance companies in Thailand to take a closer look at this class of bond, though hurdles remain, says Simon Montlake.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) itself faces the challenge of making its loans more attractive to the two Asian giants: China and India. The two make up about 42% of loans of ordinary capital resources and to keep the balance sheet strong they need to keep borrowing.

It is absurd to claim, as some have done, that Asia is heading towards monetary union. With far greater divergences in economic development than the countries of the eurozone (and look at all the stresses and strains there), a common currency would be the quickest way of setting Asian progress back a decade.