The Honorable Chern-Chyi “C.C.” Chen is a Senior Advisor at The Asia Group (TAG), based in Taipei.
Chen brings to TAG an unparalleled depth of experience and expertise from his three decades long career in the public sector, with focus on Taiwan’s economic policy and its trade with the rest of the world.
Most recently, Chen served as the Deputy Minister at Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in Taiwan. He oversaw an extensive and critical portfolio that included trade policy and promotion, export controls, strategic investment attraction and review, and fostering international economic cooperation. Concurrently, Chen also served as Deputy Chief Negotiator of the Office of Trade Negotiations for Executive Yuan, Taiwan’s cabinet.
In his role as Deputy Minister at MOEA as well as Director-General of the Taiwan International Trade Administration (TITA) for his career earlier, Chen was instrumental in shaping Taiwan’s international trade policies, spearheading initiatives for economic security and market enhancement. He also led efforts in implementing Taiwan’s trade-related policies and activities within Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Chen contributed significantly to the negotiations and implementation of Taiwan’s trade agreements, including in Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) negotiations and establishment of the Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue (EPPD) with the United States.
Chen‘s public service also span extensive international engagements. He served as Deputy Representative at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) representing the Government of Taiwan in Washington, D.C., Economic Director of the Taipei Representative Office in the European Union & Belgium, and Economic Director of the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore.
As Chief Counsel at the Office of Trade Negotiations, Chen served as the lead negotiator for services and legal affairs during bilateral trade and economic agreement negotiations with Singapore, New Zealand, as well as bilateral investment agreements with Japan and mainland China. He also played a key role in Taiwan’s WTO accession negotiations. He provided expert leadership as lead counsel for Taiwan in its WTO dispute settlement cases related to the Information Technology Agreement (ITA).
Chen holds a Master of Laws degree, with a focus on economic administration, and a Master of Comparative Law degree, both earned from George Washington University in 1988 and 1986, respectively.