With the government mulling measures to allow entrepreneurs from China to do business and participate in exhibitions in Taiwan, a local businessman said that while the move is in the right direction, it is a far cry from overall opening of the domestic exposition sector.
"It is a positive move for cross-strait trade relations," said Chen Jeng-shiung (
Last week, Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told members of the Chinese National Federation of Industries (工業總會) that the government may soon revise regulations so that companies from across the Strait could join exhibitions and initiate marketing efforts in Taiwan.
Chen, who runs the Hsing Tai Color Printing Co (
On Jan. 1, Taiwan began to allow Chinese citizens with permanent foreign residency in a third country and Chinese students studying abroad to visit Taiwan as long as they were members of a tour group.
No shows
One example of the bureaucratic restrictions on trade shows is the biannual exhibition for printing and media industry, to be held Dec. 21 to 24 at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall. The organizers invited more than 100 representatives from China to the event.
It was hoped that the Chinese delegates would exchange technical information with their Taiwanese counterparts and place orders, Chen said.
"But as a result of administrative red tape in China, some guests have now said that they may not be able to participate," Chen said.
A 15-member delegation from China Printing and Printing Equipment Industries Association (
If the Chinese delegation does arrive in Taipei, it will be the first delegation from across the Strait to join the event, which began in 1986, Chen said.
Although the move has raised some concern that Chinese companies may grab some orders from local manufacturers, Chen said he is confident that locally made printing equipment and products will attract plenty of foreign buyers.
Event organizers have, however, scaled down the biannual exhibition, as many companies in the sector have shifted operations to China in an effort to cut costs and grab market share.
Attendance peaked at the event in 1994, with 1,280 booths. This year's show will only have 520 booths from some 220 companies -- two-thirds of its goal of 800 booths, Chen said.
While the printing industry is often viewed as labor-intensive, Chen said, "Printing has gradually become technically simple and efficient."
He said the development of new high-tech devices has redefined the industry.
"Printing has two primary categories -- publishing and packaging," Chen said. "Both are irreplaceable."
According to statistics provided by the Taipei International Graphic Arts Exhibition, printing is the third-largest industry in the US.
Per capita paper consumption in Taiwan was 235kg in 1998, the world's seventh highest, followed by the US, Finland, Norway, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
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