Oversea sales grew for 12th consecutive month: in February an increase of 48.5%. Exports driven by requests for hi-tech products, especially from China and the United States. Taipei wants to reopen the borders to citizens from "motherland". Tension remains high with the Chinese.
Taipei (AsiaNews / Agencies) – Sales to China have boosted Taiwanese exports, up for the 12th consecutive month despite the coronavirus pandemic and tense relations with Beijing, its main trading partner.
Data from the Ministry of Economy put Taiwan's exports at 42.6 billion dollars in February: an annual increase of 48.5%. Oversea sales were driven by requests for hi-tech goods, of which the country is a major producer. Orders for 10.9 billion dollars arrived from China and Hong Kong (+ 48.6% compared to last year), only exceeded by exports to the United States, which reached 12.2 billion dollars.
For the first quarter of 2021, the ministry predicts a new record in national exports between 43.7 and 45.1% growth. Thus Taiwan confirms its leadership in management of the global health emergency and repercussions among the global advanced economies. According to the National Statistics Office, Taipei's GDP grew by 2.98% last year: better than the Chinese economy, which stopped at 2.3% (overtaking the mainland for the first time in 30 years).
In another attempt to open up towards the mainland, Tsai Ing-wen's government said yesterday it was ready to restore travel between the island and China, which was interrupted in February 2020 to contain the spread of Covid-19 in Wuhan (Hubei).
However, the Taiwanese authorities are asking for reciprocity of treatment from the China: in August Taipei opened its borders to Chinese students. Since last week, Chinese citizens traveling on business have also been allowed to enter.
On the other hand, Beijing continues to ban Taiwanese travellers from entering the country. The Chinese Communist Party regime considers Taiwan a "rebel" province, to be reconquered even by force.
The pandemic has not eased tensions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. In recent months, Chinese incursions over the island’s airspace have increased, which in response has accelerated its rearmament program (with US support).