Taiwan’s Political Economy and Market Culture, Opportunities and Obstacles

Taiwan is the world’s 21st-largest economy but is often overshadowed by mainland China’s perceived riches and constant threats. In an age of de-risking and friend-shoring, however, the democratic island offers European companies and customers opportunities beyond the traditional technology sector. With a new government just in office, what are the opportunities and challenges of doing business in and with Taiwan? Park Strategies Senior Vice President Sean King will consider Taiwan’s specific industries, regulatory framework and geopolitical limitations, all in the context of warming EU-Taiwan ties, when evaluating the island’s market potential.

Sean King joined Park Strategies, a New York business advisory firm, in 2006. His focus is Asia, generating business and supporting clients in the region. Mr. King is also a University of Notre Dame Liu Institute for Asia & Asian Affairs Affiliated Scholar. In October 2022, he was a Visiting Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), an autonomous think tank and graduate school within Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Before joining Park Strategies, Mr. King spent five years at the United States Department of Commerce in Washington, DC, where he served as Senior Advisor for Asia in the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service (USFCS). Before joining Commerce, Mr. King was based in Singapore for both PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Citibank. Mr. King also worked for the New York State Department of Economic Development, on whose behalf he led a 1997 trade mission to Taiwan. Mr. King makes public speaking appearances, is a frequent on air television guest and his opinions and quotes have appeared in numerous publications. He is fluent in Swedish.