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SARS puts cross-strait travelers in bind

Taiwanese businessmen with commercial ties in China are in a tough position: choosing between making money and potentially keeping healthy.

And with hundreds of Taiwanese businessmen traveling back and forth across the Taiwan Strait daily, many are getting nervous about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) transmission in Hong Kong and China. Few want to be put in a position to choose.

"Making money is important but taking care of your health is even more important," said Chen Chun-hung (陳俊宏), an official at the Mainland Affairs Council in charge of investment.

Chen offered China-based Taiwanese a simple preventive strategy: avoid crowds.

"As some 500,000 Taiwanese businessmen are currently working there, they shouldn't take any chances."

Chen expects the disease may cause some entrepreneurs to delay or cancel trips to China.

"But for people working and living there, they have to stay on," he said.

Ming Yeh (葉明信), marketing manager for Ford Lio Ho Motor Co (福特六和), said he too is concerned about the outbreak in Hong Kong and southern China, because he is scheduled to join the Ford Motor Co's China venture -- Changan Ford Automobile Corp (長安福特) -- next month.

"The present situation seems serious," Yeh said. "I have to report on April 5 [to take the new job], but I plan to wear a surgical mask on route."

The respiratory disease, which has killed at least 49 people worldwide, hasn't deterred a local trade delegation from heading to China.

"Some 100 Taiwan manufacturers have registered to attend the event and none have indicated they will cancel because of the outbreak," Luo Huai-jia (羅懷家), executive director of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (電電公會, TEEMA).

The group hopes to attend an electronics trade fair in Xiamen that runs from April 13 to April 16.

"We don't plan to change our schedule -- period," Luo said. "But we will keep a close eye on the situation."

The trade association, which represents some 4,500 companies here, said the scare is now also a reality in Taiwan.

"It looks very much like the number of [SARS] cases is mounting in Taiwan," Luo said.

Just yesterday a Taipei-based civil engineering consulting company shut down its headquarters after four staff members were diagnosed with the disease and a fifth was reported to be showing symptoms.

The five CTCI Corp (中鼎工程) employees were allegedly infected with SARS during a business trip to Beijing between March 15 and March 21, CTCI president Lin Chun-hua (林俊華) said at a press conference yesterday.

"We will shut our headquarters for four days to disinfect the facility and to give employees a two-day break," Lin said.

CTCI, which has a workforce of nearly 1,000, is headquartered on Tunhwa South Road, Section 2. Established in 1979, it is the largest civil engineering and construction company in Taiwan.

Ironically, CTCI shares rose NT$1.4, or 6.7 percent, to close at NT$22.30 on the TAIEX, on news of growing engineering and construction opportunities in Taiwan and China, an analyst said.

"I don't think the disease will have much of an effect on the company," said Wang Teng-cheng (王登城) at the Yuanta Core Pacific Capital Management Co (元大京華投顧). "SARS is far from investors' minds right now because the prospects over the company's investment in China are very positive."
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