Taiwan ranked third-best among Singapore’s most important foreign investors, and Taiwanese entrepreneurs ranked second-best among foreign businesspeople there, a survey on Singaporean perceptions of the nation showed.
Taiwanese Representative to Singapore Francis Liang (梁國新), Singaporean Trade Representative to Taipei Yip Wei Kiat (葉偉傑) and Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) Chairman Michael Hsiao (蕭新煌) were among those who yesterday commented on the survey at a news conference in Taipei.
The survey was conducted as part of a project to study Taiwan and Taiwanese entrepreneurs’ image in countries included in the New Southbound Policy, the TAEF said.
Photo: Liao Chen-hui, Taipei Times
More than 80 percent of Singaporean entrepreneurs agreed that Taiwan has a positive image, the poll showed.
The nation also scored highly on a range of qualities, including friendliness, cultural diversity and technology.
Taiwan had the highest approval rating after Japan and Switzerland among Singapore’s 15 direct foreign investors, while China was the sixth-most well-liked, it said.
More than 81 percent of respondents agreed that Taiwanese entrepreneurs have a good image in Singapore, and the group was considered trustworthy, innovative and law-abiding.
The nation’s businesses did not do as well in other categories, as only 68 percent of respondents agreed that entrepreneurs hailing from Taiwan treat employees well, while 63 percent agreed that the group is internationalized.
Overall, the image of Taiwanese entrepreneurs was second only to Japan, and trailed by the US and Switzerland, with China taking 10th spot in the rankings, it said.
The survey showed 93 percent of Singaporean businesses expressed willingness to do more business with their counterparts in Taiwan, including 80 percent in the tourism sector, 59 percent in semiconductors and 58 percent in smart electronics.
Additionally, 55 percent of businesses in the Web-based international retail sector and 53 percent of businesses in the information technology sector reported a willingness to do business with the nation.
Taiwan’s positive image in Singapore appears to be partially rooted in the nation’s soft power — including politeness, cultural diversity and cuisine — that are difficult to quantify, the TAEF wrote in its report, citing outside experts.
The survey also indicated that Taiwanese businesses are excessively hierarchical and employees lack English-language proficiency, it said.
Taiwan should strengthen its ties with Singapore, especially regarding the training and exchange of highly skilled workers, supply chain resilience and maintenance of regional peace, the TAEF said.
Disruptions to global supply chains stemming from the US-China trade dispute and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have underlined the importance of cooperation in these fields, it added.
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