Taiwan: Cross-strait investment slowly picks up as political relations improve

 It is a mark of how the relationship between Taiwan and China has strengthened over the past few years that even the former head of Taiwan’s opposition party – which historically has been hostile to the mainland and in favour of Taiwanese independence – recently visited Beijing to meet officials and academics. 

就连台湾反对党的前主席（该党历来敌视大陆，并抱持台独立场）最近也访问了北京，与大陆的官员和学者们会面。从这件事上可以衡量出台海两岸关系近年来取得了多大程度的改善。

Since Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008, Taiwan’s relationship with China has warmed significantly. The two have signed nearly 20 trade and investment pacts, started direct flights between Taiwan and the mainland and made Taipei the first market outside Hong Kong able to clear renminbi transactions. 

自马英九(Ma Ying-jeou)2008年当选台湾总统以来，台湾与大陆的关系明显回暖。双方签署了近20份贸易与投资协议，开通了直达航班，台北也成为香港以外第一个能够对人民币交易进行清算的市场。 

But with those key agreements sealed, the pace of change in the relationship will likely begin to slow, businesspeople and political analysts say. 

但商界人士和政治分析人士表示，在上述关键协议签署完成之后，两岸关系改善的步伐可能会开始放慢。 

Many of the regulations that limited Chinese investment in Taiwan or imposed tariffs on Taiwanese goods shipped to China have been loosened or are under negotiation. Remaining restrictions, such as limits on mainland investment in Taiwan property, are seen as too complicated or politically fraught to change for now.

许多限制大陆对台投资以及对台湾运往大陆商品征收关税的规定不是已经有所放宽，就是正在谈判之中。其余的一些限制措施，如对中国大陆个人和企业投资台湾房地产的限制，则被认为过于复杂或政治色彩过于浓厚，目前还不具备改变的条件。

Clarification of the status of the political relationship between Taipei and Beijing remains too controversial for Taiwan’s government to open talks on, political analysts say.

政治分析人士表示，对台北与北京双方政治关系进行明确定位目前仍有极大争议，台湾政府不会开启这方面的会谈。

“【Taiwan’s leaders】 cannot do a political deal unless they have a mandate from the people of Taiwan,” says Steve Tsang, an expert in Chinese and Taiwanese politics at the university of Nottingham. 

诺丁汉大学(university of Nottingham)两岸政治问题专家曾锐生(Steve Tsang)说：“没有台湾民意的支持，（台湾领导人）无法达成一项政治协议。”

The question for many is to what extent the improved relations and trade pacts already signed will boost cross-strait investment. 

许多人更关心的是，两岸关系的改善和已经签署的协议将在何种程度上促进两岸投资往来。

Many investors are hoping mainland investment in the smaller market will boost Taiwan’s flagging economy and a stock market that has underperformed much of the region. 

许多投资者希望，来自大陆的投资将提振萎靡的台湾经济，以及表现差于亚洲地区大多数股市的台湾股市。

The signs are positive. In November, the largest investment yet by a Chinese company in a Taiwanese one was unveiled, when Sanan Optoelectronics announced plans to buy an $81m stake in Formosa Epitaxy, an LED maker, although the deal awaits regulatory approval.

目前的情况传递出一些积极的信号。今年11月，三安光电(Sanan Optoelectronics)宣布将从LED制造商璨圆光电(Formosa Epitaxy)购买价值8100万美元的股份。这将是大陆企业对台湾企业迄今最大手笔的投资，不过，该交易还在等待监管部门审批。

Overall investment from China into Taiwan had risen 309 per cent year on year to $156.7m by October of this year. Most of that came from two Chinese banks that opened branches in Taipei this summer. 

今年1-10月，大陆对台湾投资总额同比增长309%，达到1.567亿美元。投资主要来源于两家大陆银行今年夏天在台北开设分行。