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Asustek boss praises Ma's cross-strait ideas

Asustek Computer chairman Jonney Shih (施崇棠) yesterday praised Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) cross-strait policies as viable, but said he expected Ma to work to keep local industries in Taiwan.

"I think Ma's cross-strait policies are good and pragmatic," Shih told reporters after meeting with Ma at Asustek headquarters.

Ma held a 40-minute closed-door meeting with Shih to discuss his vision for the nation and the development of high-tech industries. He said Shih had identified with his cross-strait policies, and agreed that opening direct cross-strait flights and relaxing investment regulations would help improve the economy.

"With such a small economy, Taiwan should be pragmatic and open itself up to more opportunities, rather than confining ourselves to an ivory tower," Ma said.

Currently, firms with a net worth of less than NT$5 billion (US$152.4 million) are allowed to invest up to 40 percent of their net worth in China.

Ma said he did not think that any business would oppose his proposal to relax the 40 percent investment cap and other regulations covering investment in China.

He said that relaxing these regulations would not prompt all Taiwanese companies to leave the country because they could set up the factories in China while leaving their headquarters and research & development centers here.

Ma praised Asustek, one of the world's top computer companies and the top motherboard supplier, for keeping its headquarters, design and R&D divisions in Taiwan, while opening up branches in the US, Japan, Mexico and India.

Shih declined to comment when asked if he was worried about being labeled a Ma supporter.
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