Some Taiwanese businesspeople based in China, known as Taishang, called on the government to conduct a risk assessment of China's investment environment and provide more incentives for them to invest in Taiwan.
The heads of some Taishang associations made the suggestions to the government during the two-day Mid-Autumn Festival Conference and Gathering hosted by the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), the quasi-governmental entity that deals with cross-strait affairs in the absence of official ties between Taiwan and China.
About 150 heads and officials of regional Taiwanese business associations attended the event, as well as government officials and other dignitaries.
Ho Hsi-hao (何希灝), the head of the Zhangzhou Taiwanese businessmen's association, urged the government to disclose the risks associated with the investment environment in China, as the Chinese market is highly risky.
In response, You said that the SEF will make an assessment report on the investment environment in several major cities in China to provide a reference for Taishang.
The risk of investing in China results partly from its incomplete law enforcement system and partly because of deadlocked cross-strait relations, said Lin Jung-te (林榮德), who is head of Kunshan Taiwanese businessmen's association.
Taiwanese businesspeople are disadvantaged in China, Lin said, adding that Taishang face unfair competition.
"Taishang are easy targets for accusations of tax evasion and it is not easy for them to meet their financial needs through China's banks," Lin said.
Yeh Hung-teng (葉宏燈), a Taishang based in Dongguan, urged the government to provide more investment incentives to attract Taishang back to Taiwan.
"While the price of raw materials and the cost of labor have been gradually growing in recent years in China, the government should take the opportunity to help Taishang reduce production cost, the factor that prompts Taishang to move offshore," Yeh said.
The Taishang also paid a visit to the Far Glory Free Trade Zone, a park established with the aim of luring Taishang back from China.
The park integrates air cargo with a free trade port and is also the only one of its kind in the world, said Far Glory chairman Chao Teng-hsing (
The park is scheduled to begin operations in November and more than half of its sites have been booked, with most reserved by Taishang, said Tung Chi-wen (董啟文), the park's deputy marketing manager.
Lo Yuan-mao (羅元茂), the vice head of the Dongguan Taiwanese businessmen's association, urged the government to carry out cross-strait charter flights as soon as possible.
"The lack of cross-strait charter flights, which might significantly reduce transportation costs across the Strait might discount the benefits of the free trade zone," Lo said.
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
NEW WORLD: Taiwan is pursuing innovative approaches to international relations through economics, trade and values-based diplomacy, the foreign minister said Taiwan would implement a “three-chain strategy” that promotes democratic values in response to US tariffs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said. Taiwan would aim to create a “global democratic value chain,” seek to capitalize on its position within the first island chain and promote a “non-red supply chain,” Lin was quoted as saying in the ministry’s written report to the Legislative Yuan submitted ahead of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting slated for today. The Ministry would also uphold a spirit of mutual beneficial collaboration, maintaining close communication and consultations with Washington to show that Taiwan-US cooperation