Warning that the proposed economic development project on Pingtan Island off China’s Fujian Province “is a new trick to lure Taiwanese entrepreneurs to invest in China,” a group of Taiwanese businesspeople whose investments in China turned sour plans to hold three protests starting today.
Kao Wei-pang (高為邦), head of the Victims of Investment in China Association (VICA), said the date was chosen to coincide with the arrival of Fujian Governor Su Shulin (蘇樹林), who is starting a five-day visit to Taiwan at the head of a 600-member delegation.
The protests will be held in Greater Taichung, Greater Tainan and Greater Kaohsiung, Kao said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
“With foreign investors leaving China in droves, Beijing has come up with one ploy after another to lure Taiwanese businessmen to take part in its plan for peaceful reunification,” Kao said.
The population of Pingtan is about 400,000, there is no harbor and the conditions for Taiwanese businesspeople are poor, he added.
Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Huang Wen-ling (黃文玲) said China has designated Pingtan Island as an experimental zone for its “one country, two systems” model and is trying to lure Taiwanese investment.
Pingtan County, a 371km2 island county off China’s southeastern coast, has been touted by China as an “experimental zone” for joint cross-strait development.
In an effort to attract Taiwanese investment, China is pitching the concept of “joint planning, development, operation, management and benefits” across the Taiwan Strait. As part of the plan, Su announced last month that Fujian Province would offer managerial positions to Taiwanese professionals with annual salaries ranging from 200,000 yuan (US$31,700) to 1.2 million yuan. The offer includes three to five years of free housing, he said.
Earlier this week, Premier Sean Chen (陳冲) said the “joint management” proposal by China implied a “one country, two systems” scheme.
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