Taiwan may ease controls on high-tech investment in China

Taiwan is close to easing curbs on local firms investing in high-tech
companies in China, the island's economics minister said Tuesday, in
a sign of improving ties despite recent spats with the mainland. The
long-standing controls on investment in China are now under
government review and could be relaxed before the end of 2009 , Shih
Yen-hsiang told parliament. "The discussions will not take a long
time. We expect there will be a conclusion before year's end," he
said in response to a question from a lawmaker. The lifting of
restrictions referred to by Shih would apply to high-tech industries
in particular, said Huang Hsien-lin, an economics ministry official.
The Commercial Times earlier Tuesday also reported plans by the
ministry to allow Chinese investors to buy stakes in Taiwanese flat
panel and microchip makers. Calls for easing controls on high-tech
investment in the mainland have been mounting among local industry
players as they claim their competitors from South Korea and Japan
have been stepping up activity there.