As the global economy grinds ever slower, will China turn out to be Asia's economic savior? Or will it be a burden that drags the rest of the region down? This might be a life or death question for Taiwan.
Japanese management guru Kenichi Ohmae believes cheap labor has turned China into the world's biggest factory -- like post-World War II Japan, the US in the early 20th Century, or Britain following the Industrial Revolution. Ohmae also believes this trend will intensify after China joins the WTO.
But Huang Tien-lin (
With WTO entry, both Taiwan and China will be facing substantial adjustments. Taiwan's privatization of state-owned enterprises has been difficult, but there has been steady progress. In contrast, appallingly inefficient state-owned enterprises still hog almost every industrial sector in China and remain a major stumbling block to economic transformation. In Taiwan, unemployment has risen to more than 5 percent but social security mechanisms remain relatively healthy. In China, unemployment has created serious social problems, including the massive "blind flow" of migrant workers. After China's WTO entry, the country's agriculture sector will churn out more crowds of unemployed. Meanwhile, the economic gap between the coastal and inland provinces will continue to widen.
Non-performing loans are a serious problem at Taiwan's banks, but the government is taking a hands-on approach to financial reforms. In contrast, illegal or shady loans obtained through political connections are still widespread in China's banks on top of those banks' politically directed lending to unprofitable state enterprises from which this money can never be recovered. Inefficient local banks are also ill-equip-ped to compete with foreign banks. Meanwhile, China's stock market bubbles appear close to bursting. A financial crisis in China may well become the eye of the next regional financial disaster.
Taiwan's economy is posting negative growth this year, while China maintains 5 percent growth. This has led many to adopt a rather negative outlook on Taiwan and rush to China for investment opportunities. This situation is likely to change after both sides enter the WTO. Taiwan is making solid preparations for an industrial transformation, while much of the basic readjustment work is still non-existent in China.
The Economist has suggested that other Asian countries should not intervene in trade with China out of fear of the China threat. Instead, it suggested, they should utilize the China market, effectively re-allocate resources and lift economic restrictions. This recipe may work well for other countries, but as Richard Koo (辜朝明), chief economist at Japan's Nomura Research Institute, noted recently, Taiwan and China are still in a state of enmity. Before Beijing renounces the use of force against Taiwan and shows some genuine respect for human rights, Taiwanese investors should not invest too much in China, he said. They should instead develop a global strategy and disperse their business risk. The Economist may have suggested an aspirin to ease the economic pains, but Koo's recipe is tailored for Taiwan's problems.
That even Taiwan's "god of management" Formosa Group founder Wang Yung-ching (
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath