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Editorial: A cross-strait caveat

On March 31, 1994, people across the nation were shocked by the news that 24 Taiwanese tourists had been robbed and murdered during an overnight excursion on Qiandao Lake, a popular tourist spot in China's Zhejiang Province. Unfortunately, even after the murder of Kaohsiung City Councilor Lin Ti-chuan (林滴涓) in Liaoning Province in July 1998, Taiwanese doing business in China still have not gained any appropriate guarantees for their personal safety.

On Monday, the nation was once again shocked by news from Shanghai that a Taiwanese businessman and his family had been murdered in their home.

According to rough estimates by the Straits Exchange Foundation, 529 Taiwanese business people have been victims of crime in China since 1991. Among them, 58 were murdered and 105 disappeared. The foundation also said the actual figures are much higher. The long chain of unfortunate events indicate that Taiwanese businesspeople can easily become targets of bandits in China. Many of the people mentioned above were harmed by their employees, former employees or security guards. Frequently, entire families are murdered. The security of Taiwanese businesses in China is a real cause for concern.

Apart from bringing harm to the people of Taiwan by inadequate law and order safeguards, China has also spread the SARS epidemic to Taiwan, killing more than 80 people here since it was brought in by businesspeople coming home and Chinese immigrants. Such epidemics are caused by China's bad hygiene, which has long been a threat to Taiwan. The government needs to strengthen epidemic prevention measures on people and cargo coming from China, in order to prevent a repeat of the SARS epidemic. Japanese encephalitis is running amok in southern China. Taiwan needs to be on guard against this as well.

Certainly, some Taiwanese businesses do make money in China, but even more businesses and individuals suffer losses there. China has also brought a major disaster to Taiwan on the economic front. After leaving their debts in Taiwan and going to China to do business, many businesspeople dare not return to Taiwan. The Tungtex group is a prime example. Also, the business migration to China has caused an economic hemorrhaging and extensive unemployment in this country. It has caused the economy to slump, and Taiwan is still overshadowed by economic doldrums.

China has also created political divisions in Taiwan, by trying to force the people of Taiwan to decide between "one China" and "one country on each side" in next year's presidential election. The fierce confrontation between the ruling and opposition camps will once again destroy ethnic harmony and unity in this nation.

The authorities in Beijing have stopped at nothing to attract Taiwanese businesses. They have even concealed China's domestic problems in order to attract investors.

The government must do more to publicize the high risks of investing in China. Most importantly, the government should work to improve this country's investment environment so that local businesses will see no need to invest in China. Meanwhile, Taiwan must also work to attract Taiwanese businesses back from China.
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