Within a period of just a few days, two group fights involving foreign laborers have taken place. These incidents indicate that increasing caution must be exercised in our foreign labor policy.
Over the past decade, the cost of labor in Taiwan has surged due to currency appreciation and competition by countries with even lower labor costs. As a result, many traditional labor-intensive products in Taiwan have lost their competitive edge. During the same period, the increase in average income, the popularity of speculative investments and changing attitudes have made people less willing to take hard or high-risk jobs. In view of the resulting labor shortage, businesses in Taiwan requested the introduction of foreign labor.
The management of foreign laborers easily gives rise to discontent, for foreign laborers came from afar and often have much bitterness and sorrow bottled up within them. There are tremendous possibilities for rivalry to develop between foreign laborers of different nationalities who have significantly different cultures and values. Cases in point include the recent conflict between groups of Filipino and Thai workers, and the military hostility that nearly erupted between the Philippines and Singapore over a Singapore court's conviction of a Filipino maid.
Taiwan's isolation in the international community complicates the management of disputes between foreign laborers. Some foreign laborers recognize this vulnerability and use it as an opportunity to seek personal gain.
Putting aside the danger of espionage activities and sabotage, the introduction of Chinese laborers into Taiwan presents a different set of alarming problems. China's militant disposition fostered by prolonged communist indoctrination and the political feud between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, in and of themselves, give sufficient reasons for conflict to arise between Chinese laborers and laborers from other countries, leading perhaps even to conflict between governments. If these conflicts are not properly managed, not only would they disrupt cross-strait relations, they may even be used as an excuse by China to invade Taiwan.
It is, therefore, necessary to exercise extreme caution in bringing in foreign laborers to Taiwan. This is especially true in regard to laborers from China.
To solve the problem of labor shortages and higher wages, businesses and industries, instead of relying too heavily on foreign laborers, should strive to further automate and improve their work environments, as well as upgrade the quality and added values of their products.
Chen Po-chih is a professor of economics at National Taiwan University.
When US budget carrier Southwest Airlines last week announced a new partnership with China Airlines, Southwest’s social media were filled with comments from travelers excited by the new opportunity to visit China. Of course, China Airlines is not based in China, but in Taiwan, and the new partnership connects Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport with 30 cities across the US. At a time when China is increasing efforts on all fronts to falsely label Taiwan as “China” in all arenas, Taiwan does itself no favors by having its flagship carrier named China Airlines. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is eager to jump at
The muting of the line “I’m from Taiwan” (我台灣來欸), sung in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), during a performance at the closing ceremony of the World Masters Games in New Taipei City on May 31 has sparked a public outcry. The lyric from the well-known song All Eyes on Me (世界都看見) — originally written and performed by Taiwanese hip-hop group Nine One One (玖壹壹) — was muted twice, while the subtitles on the screen showed an alternate line, “we come here together” (阮作伙來欸), which was not sung. The song, performed at the ceremony by a cheerleading group, was the theme
Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised eyebrows recently when he declared the era of American unipolarity over. He described America’s unrivaled dominance of the international system as an anomaly that was created by the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Now, he observed, the United States was returning to a more multipolar world where there are great powers in different parts of the planet. He pointed to China and Russia, as well as “rogue states like Iran and North Korea” as examples of countries the United States must contend with. This all begs the question:
In China, competition is fierce, and in many cases suppliers do not get paid on time. Rather than improving, the situation appears to be deteriorating. BYD Co, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer by production volume, has gained notoriety for its harsh treatment of suppliers, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability. The case also highlights the decline of China’s business environment, and the growing risk of a cascading wave of corporate failures. BYD generally does not follow China’s Negotiable Instruments Law when settling payments with suppliers. Instead the company has created its own proprietary supply chain finance system called the “D-chain,” through which