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Taiwan Thinktank chairman responds to Tsao's comments

Taiwan Thinktank (台灣智庫) chairman Chen Po-chih (陳博志) yesterday called comments about China-bound investments by former United Microelectronics Corp (聯電) chairman Robert Tsao (曹興誠) "biased."

"[Tsai] can't see the forest for the trees," Chen said.

He said that not all China-based businesses turned a profit there, and some Taiwan business- people have gone bankrupt after their China-bound investments failed.

It's not a question of whether Taiwan chooses to open or close up trade exchanges with China, he said, adding that the Taiwanese government should manage its cross-strait trade relations with sophistication while respecting the people's right to self-determination.

Joined by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Shih Ming-teh (施明德) at an outdoor speech organized by the Home Party on Saturday, Tsao said that the sole reason that Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘) had become the richest man in Taiwan was because he invested in China.

Tsao further urged the Tai-wanese government to allow its people to work freely in China, saying the government and the people -- not China-based businesses -- should take full responsibility if the nation's unemployment rate deteriorates.

In response to Tsao's comments, Chen yesterday said that Gou's status as the richest man in Taiwan, on the contrary, proves that the local government does not impose too many restrictions on cross-strait trade and has obviously not hindered Taiwanese businesses' expansion into China.

Chen said that he agreed with Tsao that both countries should strive to maintain a peaceful relationship although he disapproves of Tsao's "cross-strait peaceful coexistence law."

To believe that such a law would solve the fundamental problems between Taiwan and China or that China would really honor its word is naive, he said. He also said it is important for Taiwan to reduce its economic dependence on China.
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