The Ministry of Economic Affairs on Friday approved another six small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) joining a government program aimed at encouraging investment in Taiwan.
Vending machines manufacturer Gold Rain Enterprises Corp (金雨企業), which supplies companies including Uni-President Enterprises Corp (統一企業), Hey Song Corp (黑松) and US slot machine maker International Game Technology (IGT), plans to invest more than NT$300 million (US$9.55 million) by adding a smart production line at its existing plant in Changhua County and setting up a research and development center in Taichung.
Proxene Tools Co (伯鑫工具), which specializes in adjustable wrenches for industrial and professional use, plans to invest more than NT$800 million by establishing a new smart production plant in Taichung’s Shengang District (神岡) to meet market demand and improve production efficiency.
Proxene’s investment is to provide 21 job opportunities, the ministry said.
Techplasma Technology Co (美上鎂科技), which acquired technology from Germany-based AHC Oberflachentechnik GmbH to perform industrial surface treatment of metals, plans to invest more than NT$1.5 billion by setting up a new plant in Nantou County’s Nangang Industrial Park (南崗工業區) to implement environmentally friendly procedures in its production.
The company would offer an estimated 27 jobs, the ministry said.
Arden Precision Technology Co (高偉精密), which specializes in the production of routing tools for wood, plastic, composite materials and metals, plans to invest more than NT$400 million by adding an automated production line and purchasing automated machinery equipment at its plant in Taichung’s Refined Mechanics Industrial Park (台中精密機械科技園區).
The company is to recruit about 26 local professionals, the ministry said.
The total investments in Taiwan pledged by Taiwanese firms with overseas operations is forecast to surpass NT$600 billion this month, the ministry said on Saturday.
So far this year, 123 Taiwanese firms with overseas operations have announced plans to invest in Taiwan, bringing in about NT$568.2 billion in total, while more than 30 more firms have filed applications to enroll in the program, the ministry said.
Stephen Garrett, a 27-year-old graduate student, always thought he would study in China, but first the country’s restrictive COVID-19 policies made it nearly impossible and now he has other concerns. The cost is one deterrent, but Garrett is more worried about restrictions on academic freedom and the personal risk of being stranded in China. He is not alone. Only about 700 American students are studying at Chinese universities, down from a peak of nearly 25,000 a decade ago, while there are nearly 300,000 Chinese students at US schools. Some young Americans are discouraged from investing their time in China by what they see
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