"We can say that living in Taipei is a very satisfying and enjoyable experience for the majority of the international community.

Certainly, not everything is perfect, but it is a lot better than most places and it is improving all the time, " the ECCT says in the latest edition of its bimonthly magazine Euro View.

The article says that according to the latest quality of living survey jointly sponsored by the ECCT's Better Living Committee and leading research agency TNS, Taipei compares very favorably with most other Asian cities in terms of quality of living.

Building on the format of the first survey, carried out in 2006, the survey this year was conducted with a series of focus groups and in-depth interviews among a broad cross-section of foreigners to dig a little deeper than a formal questionnaire and to ensure that all relevant aspects of living abroad would be included, the article says, adding that 118 ECCT members participated.

Of the people surveyed, 61 percent described the overall quality of living in Taipei as "very good" or "excellent, " a big jump from 2006, when just 36 percent gave those responses.

While Singapore and Tokyo are seen as offering slightly higher standards of living, Taipei comes out ahead of cities in China, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, as well as Seoul and Manila, according to the article, which also says that for all its history as an international gateway, Hong Kong is rated only on a par with Taipei.

"It is interesting to note that for many, Taipei exceeds their original expectations," the article says.

For most people just arrived or yet to arrive, their images of the city are either vague or negative at the beginning, since it is difficult to find out much about the place from afar and many find Taipei a very business-oriented city with few opportunities for leisure and relaxation, the article notes.

"However, once settled, the reality is quite different and the great majority relish the experience of being here," it says.

According to the article, Taipei scores high for being an extremely safe city with high quality medical and emergency services, as well as being a very technologically minded place with above average Internet services.

"The one area that causes some concern is banking, which is not felt to be particularly `foreigner-friendly,'" the article points out.

Opening accounts, managing funds, and obtaining services such as credit cards and loans all seem more difficult for foreigners than locals, not just because of language, but also because of more red tape and harsh qualifying criteria, it adds.

In addition, while most things work well in Taipei and chamber members are comfortable living here, there is frustration with the availability of information in a whole range of areas, such as medical care and transport services, and the ECCT article suggests that government authorities introduce a coherent policy on the provision of quality foreign-language information.

The ECCT, which represents 370 multinational companies and 650 individual members from more than 30 different countries, is the principle organization promoting European business interests in Taiwan.

(By Rachel Chan)