The signing ceremony was held at the Ambassador Hotel ,Taipei on November 1st, 2006. Mr. Su Jia-cyuan, Minister of the Council of Agriculture and Mr. Frank Murkowski, Governor of the State of Alaska signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Forestry Cooperation on behalf of the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan of the Republic of China and the Alaska State Government respectively. Other important guests present at the ceremony included Mr. Kang Ning-siang, the former senior presidential advisor, Mr. Hu Sheng-jheng, Chairman of the Council for Economic Planning & Development, Mr. Huang Mao-syong, Chairman of the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce. The MOU envisions mutual cooperation in forestry trade, investment and exchange of technical information for the next 30 years.

Alaska State is a state rich in its forest resources. For many years, it keeps a very friendly relationship with Taiwan. Taiwan has a successful experience in developing its timber industry. The Memorandum will give new opportunities for Taiwan and Alaska in the further forestry industry development .

The Second Conference on Taiwan-Alaska Trade & Investment Cooperation was held in Alaska in September 2005, where forestry businesses in Taiwan first signed a contract with an Alaskan timber company for purchase of woods worth US$ 1.7 million. That contract has paved the way for trade cooperation in the forestry industry between Taiwan and the State of Alaska.

During his visit to the state government in March the former senior presidential advisor, Mr. Kang Ning-siang suggested to Governor Murkowski that Taiwan’s businesses in the timber industry hoped to purchase Alaskan timber and invest in that state.. The Alaska governor took note of Kang’s suggestion and soon after, a project team for mutual development of the timber industry was established under the Conference on Trade & Investment Cooperation. The project team acted as an agent for communications between the governments and businesses. Its first meeting was held at the Grand Hotel, Taipei in June 2006. The members of the project team passed a resolution suggesting both sides sign a memorandum of understanding on future forestry industry cooperation.

“The memorandum of understanding between the governments of Taiwan and the State of Alaska shows the importance we both give to the development of our forestry resources,” said COA Minister Su Jia-cyuan. “Both sides agreed to promote cooperation plans under the framework of this memorandum of understanding.”

The Taiwan government also plans to promote trade and investment cooperation in fishery industry with the State Government of Alaska. The Fisheries Agency under the Council of Agriculture led a Taiwan fisheries delegation to attend the third Conference on Taiwan-Alaska Trade & Investment Cooperation on Nov. 1 this year. The delegation included representatives from the Taiwan Frozen Seafood Industries Association, Ruei-liang Enterprise, Royal Host, Jia-chen Development Enterprise, Bai-xian-wu Co, Ltd., An-de-li Food Enterprise and Su-sun Seafood Supply Co, Ltd. Several discussions also were held in this bilateral meeting on the further development of fisheries trade and the investment cooperation between Alaska and Taiwan.