A few years ago 650b might not be the best choice for a touring bike because of the lack of places one could get replacement tires or rims if you should have a disastrous gear failure on tour, but now there are more suppliers and you can get most anything delivered overnight.

650b tires are more comfortable, and toe overlap can be minimized or eliminated. A wider tire like the 38mm Soma B-line allows you to ride on rougher roads than a narrow tire would.

Taiwan? I remember when Japanese bikes were looked down on.