Taichung is pushing its manufacturers into the China market through a trade fair and business networking, a modest positive for the city's machinery firms looking for new orders.

• Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin led a company delegation to the Taiwan Products Fair in Dongguan, where Taichung set up its own pavilion.
• The delegation also met the Dongguan Taiwan Businessmen's Association, which represents more than 3,800 Taiwanese firms in the city.
• Taichung is selling itself as a precision machinery and machine tool hub, and invited Taiwanese businesses in China to invest back home.
• The city says it is pairing the trade show with supplier matchmaking and factory park visits to hunt for supply chain deals.

Outlook: Expect more Taichung-led trade missions as the city tries to open export channels while cross-strait business ties stay politically sensitive.