Global Fastener News

FEATURE
Taiwan Elects ‘Independence’ President;
Relations With China Again an Issue

Relations between Taiwan and China are again an issue with the election of a president from the independence party of Taiwan.

On January 16 Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-wen as the first woman president, and, in addition to the presidency, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won parliamentary majorities.

Taiwan manufactures 14% of the world’s fasteners by output value and 17% of production volume, according to Taiwan’s Metal Industries Research & Development Centre. 

“From our point of view, we do not think the election results will have impact on fastener exports,” Keiun Liu of Ying Ming Industry Co. Ltd. told GlobalFastenerNews.com. Taiwan fastener manufacturers export to many countries and few rely on sales to China, Liu pointed out. 

“I do not expect any major changes for fastener manufacturing export due to the election results,” Jimmy Ko of Tong Hwei Enterprise Co. Ltd.

Tsai’s election led the Chinese state-run media to announce that Taiwan should abandon its “hallucinations” about claiming independence from China.

With 3.7 million square miles, China has hundreds of missiles pointed across the 110-mile Taiwan Strait at the 35,980 sq mi island it claims.

 • In a statement issued after Tsai’s win, the Taiwan Affairs Office – China’s body for handling Taiwan affairs – reaffirmed its opposition to Taiwan independence, but said it would work to maintain peace and stability. 

 • “We share with the Taiwan people a profound interest in the continuation of cross-Strait peace and stability,” U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a post-election statement.  The U.S. is an ally and supplies weapons to Taiwan.

 • Tsai pledged peace between Taiwan – an island nation with 23.4 million people – and China with a population of 1.3 billion.

 • Under the headline, “Taiwan Election Results Likely to Complicate Relations With China,” the Wall Street Journal announced that “the drubbing Taiwan’s ruling party took in local elections looks set to complicate the island’s economically robust but politically fraught relations with China in the coming years.”

 • One signal Beijing is watching is if Tsai agrees with a mutually acceptable formula on relations.  Thus far Tsai has not backed the consensus devised by officials from Beijing and the KMT government in 1992, that “holds that both sides agree that there is only one China, without defining what that meant in practical terms.”

 • The DPP suggested in May that Taiwan’s laws change to raise wages and cut work weeks from 84 per two weeks to 40 in one.

FIN Subscribers can CLICK HERE for more on the Taiwan election and the industry.

For more on the story of the Taiwan fastener industry click on the Fastener History section of GlobalFastenerNews.com:

2010 FIN – Taiwan Invites the World to Visit the Source

Ho Hong, Chun Yu, Samshing Fastech, Jau Yeou, Boltun, Jinn Her and Tong Hwei are hosts for tour promoting first Taiwan International Fastener Show.

1988 FIN – Taiwan Encouraging Investment in the U.S.

Taiwan is now the major source of imported fasteners in the U.S.

1990 FIN – A Talk With TIFI Chairman Henry Pan

Taiwan’s largest fastener manufacturers are Tung Kuang, Chun Yu, San Shing, Tong Hwae and Bao Wan.

1993 FIN – Commerce Department Issues Dumping Charge Against Taiwan Lock Washers

Process involved both Bush & Clinton administrations.

1994 FIN – Four Summer Typhoons Cut Taiwan Fastener Export

Damages to platers, heat treaters and carton manufactudrer slow fastener shipments.

1995 FIN – Taiwan Screw Exports Rising With U.S. Orders

Screw shipments to the U.S. during the first seven months of 1994-the period ending just before the typhoons, which disrupted fastener, production-were up 23%.

2002 FIN – China Rapidly Approaching Taiwan’s Fastener Exports

Touring Tong Ming, Gem Year, Shanghai Ben Yuan and Linkwell.

2006 FIN – NFDA Panelists: No Question About Globalization

Roseman, Grabner, Schwind, Cohn and Hebert offer observations.

2012 FIN – The Changing Face of Taiwan’s Fastener History

FIN interviews Taiwan manufacturing leaders Chu Chien Tsai, Sherman Hong, Davis Leu and Gordon Lin.