Eyeing the potential market of Chinese tourists, Liu said he would like to expand his business interests into tourism. He estimated the economy would improve in the first half of the year, which meant that the next six months would be a good time to get things up and running, he said.
Tang Chin-hsiang (湯進祥) said he never thought of coming home to invest because China was almost like his second home.
Since he opened his bakery in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, about 16 years ago, Tang said his business was doing well. The worldwide financial crisis had a limited impact on his sales, which focused on the Chinese market.
Soaring material costs did not affect his business either, he said, because ultimately customers would be the ones paying the price.
Tang said the government could be of little help to him because his business is in China. If he had suggestions for the government, he said he would like to see more agricultural produce allowed to enter the Chinese market.
It would also be a good idea to establish a “taxation protection zone” and further deregulate labor policies, he said.
Dong Ssu-an (董賜安) said the financial storm had dealt a significant blow to his fish farming business in Tangshan, Hebei Province.
While he exported 50 percent of his fish to Asia and sold the other 50 percent to the Chinese market, Dong said the export market had hit a snag since the latter part of last year.
He had high hopes for the Chinese government’s plan to boost domestic consumption, he said. Aside from that, he was seeking a change.
“I cannot depend solely on the Chinese government,” he said. “I must figure out a way to survive.”
When Dong started his business in China five years ago, he said he was attracted by its cheap labor, enormous market and various incentives.
But because of rising costs, Dong said he was interested in the Ma administration’s plan to entice China-based Taiwanese businesspeople to invest at home. He hoped to decide whether to do so by the end of this year.
Dong said he would like to keep his roots in Taiwan and hopefully establish businesses in Ilan and Kaohsiung, provided government policies could make this possible.
RSS