What will be the impact of Beijing's proposed "anti-secession" law on Taiwanese businesspeople investing in China? This is a difficult question.
After the draft law was added to the agenda of the National People's Congress (NPC) in December, local media have often been denied interviews with these businesspeople regarding this sensitive issue. So there has been a lack of news coverage related to their insights. This highlights their tendency to "talk only about business when doing business," and not touch upon sensitive political issues.
Nevertheless, since there are a substantial number of renowned Taiwanese corporations in China, the question of whether the passage of the law will influence their support for government policies and cause other side effects deserves our attention.
Basically, not talking about politics has long been the rule for businesspeople in China to protect themselves. But as Beijing strictly enforces its policies against President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Taiwan's independence, it has become more and more common for them to take sides.
Still, "sailing with the wind" has now become their primary strategy. Even those who support Chen often mention terms such as "the motherland" and the "peaceful unification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait," and recognize Beijing's claims that, for example, independence separatist forces have seriously damaged and threatened cross-strait peace, the economy and trade.
Their awkward political situation in China is self-evident.
In terms of the law's impact on these businesspeople, while the bill's contents have not been revealed, as Theodor Huang (黃茂雄), chairman of the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce said, "It is impossible for Taiwanese businesspeople not to be affected by it."
In a press conference on May 24 last year, China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Spokesman Zhang Mingqing (
Meanwhile, China's local Taiwan affairs and united-front officials often hold parties for Taiwanese businesspeople on various holidays, and visit them in person. TAO officials also frequently attend conferences for these businesspeople. They stress that if the Chinese government does not "oppose and check the Taiwan independence secessionist forces and their activities resolutely," they will pose a severe threat to cross-strait business and operating rights, and will eventually damage social stability and economic development in Taiwan, as well as the fundamental interests of the Taiwanese people.
Beijing hopes that in this way the two sides can make a joint effort to combat separatism to maintain cross-strait stability, as well as cross-strait exchanges in the business and cultural sectors, among others.
Beijing also stresses to Taiwanese businesspeople that only by passing the law can China provide better conditions for investment, cross-strait cooperation and the opening of the "three links."
Under such a massive propaganda effort, Taiwanese businesspeople dare not say "no" to the law in public, even as it attempts to legalize military action against Taiwan.
What is worse, China is now actively moving to sway public opinion, claiming that Taiwan's businesspeople support the law. On Dec. 19, the Hong Kong Commercial Daily reported that Taiwanese industry leaders attach great importance to the passage of the law.
The chairman of a Taiwanese business association even said that Taiwanese businesspeople are not worried and won't withdraw their investments, and that the law will be helpful in easing cross-strait tensions, pushing the two sides to jointly solve the current predicament. All these maneuvers reveal nothing but Beijing's intention to push businesspeople to oppose Taiwan's independence.
Apart from this, Taiwan also needs to pay more attention to whether the law will include articles such as "praising all domestic and international organizations or activities that are beneficial to China's unification." Such an article would legalize Beijing's differential treatment of them.
Thus, with the passage of the law, China will be able -- legally -- to make strict tax and other inspections of pro-independence Taiwanese businesspeople. It will also be able to use business opportunities to push these businesspeople to oppose Taiwan independence or support the "one China" principle.
If this is the case, the law will cause a so-called "winter cicada" effect, as Taiwanese businesspeople will become as silent as winter cicadas.
On the other hand, those who intend to win China's support may express their stance through the media. This may affect not only how people in Taiwan view the government's China policy, but also our domestic consensus. Hence, an important task for the government is to strengthen communication with these people to win their support.
Su Yi is a China expert.
TRANSLATED BY LIN YA-TI AND EDDY CHANG
Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on April 9 said that the first group of Indian workers could arrive as early as this year as part of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India and the India Taipei Association. Signed in February 2024, the MOU stipulates that Taipei would decide the number of migrant workers and which industries would employ them, while New Delhi would manage recruitment and training. Employment would be governed by the laws of both countries. Months after its signing, the two sides agreed that 1,000 migrant workers from India would
In recent weeks, Taiwan has witnessed a surge of public anxiety over the possible introduction of Indian migrant workers. What began as a policy signal from the Ministry of Labor quickly escalated into a broader controversy. Petitions gathered thousands of signatures within days, political figures issued strong warnings, and social media became saturated with concerns about public safety and social stability. At first glance, this appears to be a straightforward policy question: Should Taiwan introduce Indian migrant workers or not? However, this framing is misleading. The current debate is not fundamentally about India. It is about Taiwan’s labor system, its
Japan’s imminent easing of arms export rules has sparked strong interest from Warsaw to Manila, Reuters reporting found, as US President Donald Trump wavers on security commitments to allies, and the wars in Iran and Ukraine strain US weapons supplies. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling party approved the changes this week as she tries to invigorate the pacifist country’s military industrial base. Her government would formally adopt the new rules as soon as this month, three Japanese government officials told Reuters. Despite largely isolating itself from global arms markets since World War II, Japan spends enough on its own
On March 31, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs released declassified diplomatic records from 1995 that drew wide domestic media attention. One revelation stood out: North Korea had once raised the possibility of diplomatic relations with Taiwan. In a meeting with visiting Chinese officials in May 1995, as then-Chinese president Jiang Zemin (江澤民) prepared for a visit to South Korea, North Korean officials objected to Beijing’s growing ties with Seoul and raised Taiwan directly. According to the newly released records, North Korean officials asked why Pyongyang should refrain from developing relations with Taiwan while China and South Korea were expanding high-level
RSS