Chair of the South Australian Parliamentary Friends of Taiwan Tung Ngo MLC and President of the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in South Australia Philip Liu jointly hosted the Chamber’s first anniversary dinner at the Parliament of South Australia on 19 August.
The gathering brought together South Australian Minister for Police, Correctional Services, and Consumer and Business Affairs Michael Brown MP, Minister for Tourism and Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Emily Bourke MLC, parliamentary friends of Taiwan, OCAC Commissioner Tseng Shu-mu, and presidents and representatives of Taiwanese chambers of commerce from Sydney, Melbourne, Western Australia and South Australia. Senior leaders of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in Oceania, including its President and Honorary President, also attended.
Over recent years, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Melbourne has continued to strengthen engagement with the South Australian Parliamentary Friends of Taiwan, the State Government and local partners, while working with the Taiwanese business community to support the establishment and development of the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in South Australia.
The anniversary gathering, jointly hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Taiwan and the Chamber at Parliament, and attended by Taiwanese business leaders from across Australia and Oceania, reflected the growing links between South Australia’s local Taiwan network and broader regional business communities.
In his remarks, Director-General Ray Ming-tse Lu said that over the past three years, engagement in South Australia had progressed from building connections and understanding to developing greater trust.
He noted that the evening should not be seen as a destination, but as the beginning of the next phase of practical cooperation. Looking ahead, he expressed hope for more business engagement, stronger institutional links and greater people-to-people exchanges, turning long-standing goodwill and trust into practical, mutually beneficial and sustainable outcomes.
During the evening, Minister Bourke also engaged with representatives of Taiwanese businesses, including China Airlines Melbourne, further expanding opportunities for exchanges in tourism, aviation and broader business links.
The South Australian Parliamentary Friends of Taiwan has continued to support Taiwan, while the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in South Australia has grown into an important platform connecting the local Taiwanese business community with South Australia’s wider business sector.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Melbourne will continue to work with parliamentary partners, the State Government, local Taiwanese businesses and regional business networks to deepen practical cooperation in trade, industry, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, and to further strengthen the long-term partnership between Taiwan and South Australia.
