While Ma Xiaoguang applauds the incentives, Taiwan’s scholars say the data shows a different story
Taiwan News
Date: 2019/01/26
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
(By Associated Press)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Nearly a year after Beijing announced the 31 measures to lure Taiwanese talent and investment as part of its pro-unification campaign, a China study scholar said on Saturday that the initiatives have not made much impact.
A year ago, China’s 31 measures were a source of concern for the government of Taiwan, as the incentives were intended to attract talent and business away from the country.
The sugarcoated measures included relaxed regulations on cross-strait cooperation in a wide array of industries, including media. Other measures gave a green light to Taiwanese companies in China to invest in sensitive government projects, while others aimed to provide special tax exemptions or tax refunds to Taiwanese businesses in China.
As the first anniversary of the “31 measures” is drawing near, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) said at a regular press conference recently that over 9.05 million passengers traveled between Taiwan and China in 2018 alone. He added that the number of total Taiwanese and first-time Taiwanese visitors to China both set new record highs at over 6 million, and 400,000, respectively, during that period of time. [FULL STORY]
