Taipei, Aug. 28 (CNA) Taiwanese telecommunications operator Chunghwa Telecom opened a subsidiary in Frankfurt on Monday, expanding into Europe for the first time, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
The subsidiary's opening ceremony was presided over by Jia Zhongyung, chairman of the European subsidiary, and Chen Jinzhou, president of the International Business Group, and was broadcast to Taipei via video link.
In a statement, Chunghwa Telecom said it was looking to expand overseas, had already established subsidiaries in the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, and was pleased to gain a foothold on a new continent.
“With the official opening of its base in Europe today, Chunghwa Telecom has completed its international service network spanning Europe, the Americas and Asia,” the company said.
“This makes the company the only telecommunications operator in Taiwan with overseas branches and the most comprehensive global network,” the company said.
Chunghwa Telecom Chairman Guo Shui-yi, who attended the ceremony in Taipei, was quoted as saying in a statement: “No matter where Taiwanese companies go, Chunghwa Telecom will support them.”
Guo said the company decided to set up its base in Germany because the country is one of the most important economic centers in Europe and attracts many Taiwanese companies.
Some analysts believe Chunghwa Telecom's move is linked to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC) construction of an advanced factory in Germany, which began on August 20.
The company said it would target TSMC's regional network infrastructure and information and communications technology (ICT) solutions needs, but Chunghwa Telecom did not confirm this.
The company's president, Lin Zhaoyang, who attended the ceremony in Taipei, said in a statement that the establishment of the European subsidiary was an important step in the company's global expansion, and that he pledged to work closely with local partners to serve the needs of Taiwanese companies around the world.
Chunghwa Telecom said there are many opportunities in the EU market and its 27 member states, and Germany, as the EU's largest economy, serves as a gateway for multinational companies to enter the European market.
In a statement, the company said it plans to continue its joint project with Poland's Exatel while actively cooperating with European telecom operators, Taiwanese companies and German ICT companies.
According to the statement, Chunghwa Telecom began cooperation with Exatel, Poland's largest fixed-line telecommunications company, in 2023, including launching high-speed node network interconnection on July 21 last year.
(Jiang Mingyan and Evelyn Kao)
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