Taiwan Seeks Stronger Asia Ties to Overcome Reliance on China
- Government urges more investments in South and Southeast Asia
- Companies say lack of international relations hinders business
Motorcycles sit in traffic from a bridge in Taipei, Taiwan, on Monday, Nov. 4, 2013.
Photographer: Lam Yik Fei/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
“Go west!” is the mantra Taiwanese companies lived by for the best part of three decades, turning China into their biggest trading partner. But with cross-strait relations at their worst in close to a decade, President Tsai Ing-wen is urging firms to turn south.
Tsai wants to mitigate reliance on the mainland by bolstering trade with 18 countries in Southeast Asia and South Asia, including Australia and New Zealand, a departure from her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou’s promise of stronger growth through better ties with China.