GOVERNMENTS/ASSOCIATIONS/FASTENER GROUPS 

The Five Regions Fastener Association Conference previously with 5 members (Taiwan, Japan, S. Korea, China and Hong Kong) has been held for the 20th consecutive year and Taiwan has been appointed to host the next conference scheduled to take place at the Grand Hi-Lai Hotel Kaohsiung on November 14-15, 2019. However, after the recent withdrawal announcement of Japan from the conference, the conference is very likely to be suspended forever or take place in a different name.  

TIFI (Taiwan Industrial Fasteners Institute) Chairman said in a recent interview, “The helms of many Japanese enterprises have been gradually taken by the second generation and they prefer technique exchange to general social activities, which they consider to be not quite beneficial in the perspective of technical development. Consequently, in February 2019 the representatives of Japan expressed their decision to withdraw from the conference.”

In addition to mailing a formal letter to inform the host country – Taiwan of its decision to withdraw from the conference, the Chairman of the Fastener Institute of Japan (FIJ) and his team also came to visit TIFI Chairman Mr. Tu-Chin Tsai and the management. According to FIJ, they do cherish the solid friendship established with all the Taiwanese friends over the past 3 decades. However, the cost of participating in the conference every year is really high, so they would like to maintain such friendship with Taiwan perhaps in other more feasible exchange activities. S. Korea is also considering withdrawing from the conference and recommend that the conference be held every two years.

The 2-day Five Regions Fastener Association Conference welcomes more than 200 participants every year and TIFI Chairman Tu-Chin Tsai is continuing his coordination with existing members from S. Korea, China and Hong Kong to discuss the possibility of reducing the scale of the event for the continuation of such a meaningful event across the regions.