October 20, 2015
No. 228
Anette Kramme, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Germany, will lead a three-member delegation to the Republic of China (Taiwan) from October 20 to 23, 2015.
The purpose of Ms. Kramme’s visit—her first to Taiwan—is to gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s aging society and labor market, as well as its efforts to boost employment and promote a dual vocational education system, so as to further enhance Taiwan-Germany exchanges and cooperation in these fields.
During her stay, Ms. Kramme will participate in a bilateral seminar on aging societies held by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and call at the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labor. Furthermore, she will travel to Taichung to visit the Taichung-Changhua-Nantou Regional Branch of the Workforce Development Agency, as well as a Siemens vocational training center.
ROC Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Vanessa Y. P. Shih will host a banquet in honor of Ms. Kramme, who will also tour the National Palace Museum, Taipei 101, and other sites of cultural significance.
A longtime member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Ms. Kramme has taken part in the State Executive and Presidium of the SPD in Bavaria, and served as spokesperson for labor and social affairs of the SPD parliamentary group.
Bilateral relations between Taiwan and Germany have been growing steadily in recent years. Germany is Taiwan’s largest trading partner in Europe, with two-way trade reaching US$15.5 billion in 2014, accounting for 24 percent of Taiwan’s total trade with the continent. Meanwhile, in 2012, Taiwan and Germany signed an agreement on cooperation to combat customs fraud, as well as an accord on the avoidance of double taxation. Moreover, German investment in Taiwan increased by 340 percent in 2014, making it the second-largest source of foreign investment. Investments by Taiwanese companies in Germany in 2014, meanwhile, grew by 207 percent. (E)