Class notes (week 11)

Class Notes (Week 11) Taiwan: Introduction * Taiwan is small but rich, economically powerful. * Taiwan is one of East Asia's NICs and has achieved tiger status in terms of economic development. * Taiwan incorporates the main island and smaller islands called the Penghu Islands - The Penghu were colonized by the Portuguese, who named them Pescadores (Fisherman) (Fig.11-11). * Most people dwell on the western coastal plain. * Agricultural output has steadily declined over the years as farmland and …

…other two places, Vietnam offers some attractive conditions. (1) Vietnam is regarded by most Taiwanese investors as a piece of 'virgin' land for foreign investment, unlike the other two where more cumbersome government regulations are already in place. (2) Vietnam and Taiwan share a relatively similar Confucian heritage, compared with Indonesia's Islamic faith and the Philippines' Christian background. (3) The workforce in Vietnam is more disciplined and its cost is comparatively low, and their work ethics are similar.