When is a foreign bank not a foreign bank? Answer: When it establishes a domestic subsidiary. Between 2007 and 2013, five leading international banks – Standard Chartered, Citi, HSBC, DBS, and ANZ – received approval from the financial authorities to expand their presence in Taiwan’s retail banking market by taking over the operations of local…
Where business has slowed, the main reason appears to be economic factors. Ever since Beijing angrily terminated official communications with Taiwan’s then newly installed Tsai Ing-wen government in June last year, political relations with China have plunged to their coolest point in nearly a decade. But the cross-Strait political chill over Taiwan’s unwillingness to accept a…
Who will take up the baton from the current generation of Taiwan’s corporate leaders? Corporate succession is a sensitive topic in Taiwan, where many top business leaders take on larger-than-life roles in their firms, often opting to continue working well into their eighties. Strong family and personal connections often complicate the transfer of company leadership….
Exposure declines in China, though it remains an important market for serving Taiwanese SMEs. Taiwan has long suffered from a saturated domestic banking market, prompting its banks to foray abroad for new business opportunities. Under the administration of former President Ma Ying-jeou, banks took advantage of the cross-Strait detente to open numerous branches in China….
Taiwan’s ambitious plans to develop offshore wind power spur a need for project financing. International banks have held a rather limited market share in Taiwan, but one area in which they have a potential competitive edge by virtue of their technical expertise in the financing of major projects. In recent years, such projects have…
Delta to Take Stake in IP Security Firm Leading electronics firm Delta Electronics Inc. on August 8 announced a bid to acquire between 35% and 55% of IP security provider Vivotek Inc. in order to beef up its building automation solutions capabilities. A company spokesperson said Delta offered NT$98 per outstanding common share, an 18%…
High Court Supports Marriage Equality In a landmark ruling on May 24 that made headlines around the world, Taiwan’s Council of Grand Justices found that Taiwan’s Civil Code violated constitutional rights of freedom of marriage and equality by defining marriage only as an agreement between a man and a woman. The court instructed the government…
In the past year, positive steps have been taken by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) to build a better business environment and stimulate financial product innovation in Taiwan. In the newly published 2017 Taiwan White Paper, the Asset Management Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei commends these reforms. The Asset Management Committee…
When I arrived in a vibrant Taipei at the end of 1990, the young professionals I met were upwardly mobile and full of hope. Learning English was all the rage, and they diligently studied English in their spare time. Since arriving in Taiwan, I have been a teacher, trainer, coach, and consultant. These jobs have…
Massive fines have forced the popular ride-hailing app to suspend its Taiwan operations from February 10. In Taiwan, the end of the road for Uber came swiftly. The ride-hailing app juggernaut, which is the world’s largest startup by valuation, suspended services here in February after being fined more than NT$1 billion (around US$31 million) in…
