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Taiwan investors welcome in mainland
By Xiao Xing (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-06-14 22:41
A senior Taiwan affairs official has denied that the mainland is
launching a probe into political inclination of Taiwanese business people who do
business on the mainland, according to media reports.
Zhang Mingqing, director of the Information Bureau under the Taiwan Affairs
Office of the State Council, also assured that the legitimate rights and
interests of most of Taiwanese investors will be well protected.
He made the remarks on Sunday while meeting a media delegation from Taiwan in
Harbin, capital city of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.
His comments were the first official reaction to growing worries among
Taiwanese business leaders about investing in the mainland after the overseas
edition of People's Daily sharply criticized a pro-independence Taiwanese tycoon
on May 31.
The newspaper ran a front-page commentary accusing Hsu Wen-lung, founder of
Chi Mei Corp., of using profits from his petrochemical and electronics
businesses on the mainland to fund pro-independence politicians.
The accusation came a week after Zhang told a regular news conference that
the mainland "does not welcome people who make money on the mainland and return
to Taiwan to support independence."
Asked to comment on speculation that some local Taiwan affairs offices in
South China have started an investigation into politics of Taiwanese investors,
Zhang offered his stern denial.
"We will never do such a thing as launching an investigation (into these
business people)," he was quoted as telling the Taiwanese delegation by Hong
Kong-based Phoenix TV.
The official added that the mainland's criticism targets only a very small
number of Taiwanese business people.
"The legitimate rights and interests of most Taiwan business people who have
invested in the mainland will be protected and they do not have to worry," Zhang
stressed.
The Phoenix TV also cited Hu Xiangding, assistant governor of Heilongjiang,
as saying that the provincial government still actively encourages Taiwanese to
invest in the province.
Despite political tension across the Taiwan Straits, bilateral economic
relations have grown stronger over the past two decades.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce, Taiwanese investors
have so far funded more than 70,000 projects on the mainland, with contracted
investment of more than US$80 billion.
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