The Vietnamese government is considering setting up a single window to handle compensation claims from Taiwanese companies that suffered losses during anti-Chinese riots in the country last week, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) said yesterday upon his return from Vietnam.
Shen led a delegation to Vietnam earlier this week to assess the damage sustained by Taiwanese businesses there, during which he met with Vietnamese Planning and Investment Minister Bui Quang Vinh.
In addition to urging Hanoi to set up a single window on the issue of compensation, Taipei also proposed forming a bilateral negotiation commission and a joint mediation commission, as well as Vietnam providing tax deductions and waivers for Taiwanese companies there, Shen said.
Bui responded by promising to report Taiwan’s proposals to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, he said.
The anti-Chinese protests erupted in southern Vietnam on May 13 over a Chinese oil-drilling venture in an area of the South China Sea that Hanoi says is within its exclusive economic zone.
Vietnamese protesters angry at China’s move have also targeted Taiwanese businesses, apparently thinking they were Chinese-owned.
According to statistics compiled by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, a total of 224 Taiwanese companies reported being damaged during the riots, with 18 factories set on fire, five of which were completely destroyed.
Earlier in the week, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) said that Taiwan has suggested Vietnam set up a 24-hour emergency hotline for Taiwanese businesspeople to report emergencies to its police department and beef up police patrols in areas where Taiwanese companies are located, and that Vietnam agreed to consider the suggestions.
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