Taiwanese Investment Leaving China, Dropped by Half in a Decade: Expert

Over the past decade, Taiwan’s concern successful China has importantly dropped, and owed to a worsening concern environment, those Taiwanese who stay successful the country, bash truthful astatine the hazard of losing each of their investments, an online forum was told.

Lin Thung-Hong, a researcher astatine the Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, told the forum, organized by the civic radical “Economic Democracy Union”, that it is indispensable for Taiwanese businessmen to admit the risks of doing concern successful China.

While investments are declining, immoderate Taiwanese businessmen who cannot withdraw immediately from the mainland are besides reducing their investment, Lin told the forum which had arsenic its theme: “Taiwanese businessmen going westbound for 30 years, extremity with communal prosperity oregon retreat?”

“Their wealth has been tied down successful China, and they whitethorn besides look the hazard of a full loss,” helium said.

Lin said that Taiwan’s concern successful mainland China tin beryllium divided into 3 phases.

The first, helium said, is the “Golden Era” from 1992 to 2007 erstwhile Taiwan’s “direct overseas concern (FDI)” successful China was connected the rise. In 2002 it accounted for much than 60 percent of Taiwan’s outflow capital.

The 2nd play is the “huge question of investment” betwixt the 2008 fiscal situation and the 2014 Sunflower Movement.

The 3rd signifier began successful 2015 erstwhile Taiwan’s superior successful China began diminishing.

Lin said a watershed infinitesimal occurred aft the Chinese Communist Party person Xi Jinping came to powerfulness successful precocious 2012. Since past the percent of Taiwan’s concern successful China dropped from 61.2 percent to 33.33, which is astir by half—equivalent to levels from 2000.

Some of the funds went to Southeast Asian and South Asian countries. A ample magnitude of wealth was invested successful the United States.

Lin described immoderate of the changes that Taiwanese businessmen successful China person experienced, with immoderate examples being that they were erstwhile capable to get taxation cuts, onshore interest reductions, and inexpensive labor.

However, since 2007, Lin said that China has entered a play of concern upgrading, and galore Taiwanese businessmen were driven into inland areas specified arsenic the cardinal and occidental regions.

The taxation incentives for Taiwanese businessmen person besides been canceled, helium added.

Lin said successful 2007, determination were inactive 356 Taiwanese businessmen connected the database of “One Thousand Largest Enterprises crossed the Strait”. In 2020, determination were lone 108. He said galore were forced retired of the Chinese marketplace by what helium described arsenic a Chinese regime-backed supply chain.

“The concern of Taiwanese businessmen successful China is simply a informing to each Taiwanese successful mainland China,” Lin said.

However, helium besides emphasized that though Taiwanese businessmen are retreating, it does not mean that each of them volition withdraw.

“It is mean that 10 percent and 20 percent volition remain,” helium said.

Wu Minzhou contributed to the report.