Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. founder and Presidential Adviser Hsu Wen-long (
"Taiwan independence will only lead Taiwan to war and drag people to disaster," Hsu said in an open letter published on the front page of the Economic Daily News today, only hours before a mass rally was to take place against China's new "Anti-Secession Law."
"In the 2000 presidential election, I supported Chen Shui- bian (陳水扁), but supporting Chen doesn't mean I support Taiwan independence," said Hsu, the sixth-richest man in Taiwan according to Forbes magazine.
Hsu retired as Chi Mei chairman last June. He remains on the board.
Taiwan's second-largest maker of flat-panel displays used in computers and televisions named Vice Chairman Liao Chin-hsiang (廖錦祥) to replace him.
"I believe Taiwan and the mainland belong to one China, and people across the Strait are all sisters," Hsu said in the open letter.
"We don't play `Taiwan independence,' and because we don't, Chi Mei's development on the mainland will definitely blossom," Hsu said.
Human Chain
The protest yesterday was organized by the Taiwan Democratic Alliance for Peace.
The rally may be the biggest since last year's presidential election campaign, when as many as 1 million people linked arms in a human chain across the country to protest missiles aimed at Taiwan.
On Friday, Chi Mei shares rose NT$1, or 2.3 percent, to NT$45.10.
The shares fell to a 15-week low last June after a report in People's Daily, the mouthpiece for the ruling Chinese Communist Party, criticized Hsu for his pro-independence views and said investments from Taiwan businessmen who share those views weren't welcome in China.
In today's letter, Hsu said he offered twice this year to resign as an adviser to Chen because he has no interest in Taiwan politics. He didn't say if Chen had accepted his resignation.
Old Threats
Attempts to tie allegiance to the communists' "one-China policy" with China investment opportunities isn't new.
In March 2001 China's trade minister warned Taiwan businesses to toe Beijing's line on reunification if they wanted to operate factories in China.
Hsu founded the Chi Mei Group in 1953 with a plastics factory and later expanded into petrochemicals, electronics, frozen foods and health care.
The conglomerate employs more than 10,000 people and had sales of more than US$3 billion in 2002, the year Chi Mei Optoelectronics went public.
Three petrochemical plants and a shipping unit operate in China, according to the company Web site.
China is Taiwan's biggest export market and the most popular destination for offshore investment.
The Presidential Office yesterday gave a subdued response to Hsu's comments.
"Since Taiwan is a democratic country, it's natural that there are diverse opinions," Presidential Office Secretary-General Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday.
In a response to Hsu's statement, former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) said that he can understand why Hsu made such a remark and that the incident only reflects the fact that the Chinese government is beginning to pressure China-based Taiwanese businesspeople.
"As his friend, I can understand why he says such a thing," Lee said.
"He does it at the expense of his own reputation and for the sake of over 100,000 people working for him in China, because he doesn't have any other choice."
Lee added that Hsu did not inform him in advance of his retirement announcement but instead learned the news from the media.
While Hsu has business investment in China, Lee said that Hsu is now beginning to see the negative impact of such a business venture.
"I take pity on what has happened to him because some of his factories and companies based in China have been forced to shut down by the Chinese government," Lee said.
Lee called on the public to realize that Hsu made his retirement announcement about a year ago under pressure from China.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS