Taipei, 2008.
The Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) administration is considering further relaxing cross-strait economic policy before Chen steps down in May, a plan which is supported by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), who confirmed declarations to the Taipei Times, on February 18.
When asked for comment, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) applauded the president's plans to relax cross-strait policies and urged Chen to begin by arranging charter flights starting on March 1 for Taiwanese based in China to return to vote in next month's presidential election.
It's been almost a decade Taiwanese businessmen are taking advantage of China’s cheaper production costs.
In late 1999, ACER invested USD 50 million in a manufacturing plant in Zhongshan, Guandong Province, to produce computers and DVD players.
Summarizing, 30% of Taiwan’s total IT production was already made in China in 2000.
About the “Silicon coalition”, the term used on defining the rush for building producing centers in the mainland, Taiwan’s vice-president Annette Lu insists in a tough posture of dissatisfaction:
“This fantasy about the mainland has triggered uncertainty about the future of Taiwan, causing the relocation of capital and production bases… Blindly following the mainland fever without knowing the risk behind, is not something a wise man does… Ridiculous for Taiwanese to pour money into China, when Beijing has 300 missiles aimed at the island.”
In late 1999, ACER invested USD 50 million in a manufacturing plant in Zhongshan, Guandong Province, to produce computers and DVD players.
Summarizing, 30% of Taiwan’s total IT production was already made in China in 2000.
About the “Silicon coalition”, the term used on defining the rush for building producing centers in the mainland, Taiwan’s vice-president Annette Lu insists in a tough posture of dissatisfaction:
“This fantasy about the mainland has triggered uncertainty about the future of Taiwan, causing the relocation of capital and production bases… Blindly following the mainland fever without knowing the risk behind, is not something a wise man does… Ridiculous for Taiwanese to pour money into China, when Beijing has 300 missiles aimed at the island.”
President Chen Shui-bian, on his inaugural speech on May 2000 envisioned the “sustainable green silicon island” as a plan to develop a knowledge-based economy in Taiwan. His project proposes an implementation in Six Ways to consolidate Taiwan as a Science Island:
1 – Set up mechanisms to encourage innovation and foster new ventures.
2- Expand the use of information technology and the Internet in production as well as daily life.
3– Lay the groundwork for an environment supportive of Internet usage.
4 – Consider due modification of the education system in a drive to meet the development of personnel needs by training and importing a sufficient pool of knowledge workers.
5 – Establish service-oriented government.
6 – Formulate precautionary measures against social problems that arise from the transformation of economy.
1 – Set up mechanisms to encourage innovation and foster new ventures.
2- Expand the use of information technology and the Internet in production as well as daily life.
3– Lay the groundwork for an environment supportive of Internet usage.
4 – Consider due modification of the education system in a drive to meet the development of personnel needs by training and importing a sufficient pool of knowledge workers.
5 – Establish service-oriented government.
6 – Formulate precautionary measures against social problems that arise from the transformation of economy.
How effective were president Chen's proposes so far? It's known that R.O.C's last triumph is the expertise in the IT sector and, in this regard, P.R.C is clearly "catching-up".
Concerning Taiwan's representation in an international sphere: contingencies. On January 15, this year, Malawi was the fourth country to break relations with Taiwan since 2006 after Senegal, Chad and Costa Rica. There has been speculation that the Marshall Islands and Guatemala could soon follow suit.
Should Taiwan pursue independence at any cost? Could a compromise between the two sides ever be reached? What does the future holds for Taiwan?
