[DeaconBenjamin]

Sounds like the big money is making plans to bug out. So do the US elections in 2004 affect Chinese attack plans?

[dodger]

Gee, what with Chi-Coms, NorKors, Iranis & 'diverse' Islamofascists on the war-path within the next few years ... they seem to invite the odd Strat-Com firecracker or two.

Gee, perhaps even the leftist-greens might welcome such 'quantum diplomacy' in that it could nicely thin out these various insalubrious populations groaning over Mother Earth.

[ETERNAL WARMING]

In other words, the Globalists are backing China. Cheap labor rules over right and wrong as usual.

[oceanview]

the chip industry in Taiwan is huge - as are electronics in general. the sad part is - these companies will evacuate, to China.

the US has sold our soul to China because of all this free trade crap, add to that the corruption and nuclear secrets they took under Clinton. It may be too late to put the Taiwan genie back in the bottle.

We should be honest with Taiwan, I don't think we can go to war with China over them - maybe cuting a unification deal with the mainland would be in their best interests.

[BJungNan]

Multinational corporations 'planning to evacuate Taiwan'

I think they already have evacuated. They all set up shop in Mainland China some time ago.

[Khurkris]

From the 'Taiwan' side of this...this is a purely speculative article. A few of the points made are valid. However do not underestimate the monetary investment Taiwan has made in the mainland. And that is still controlled by the Taiwan corporations. And also, the manufacturing arena in Taiwan is HUGE. It is growing everyday.

Having said that, I must also say that from what I have observed, Nationalism and the concept of 'Patriotism' are values not commonly seen in Taiwanese business deals.

Just some food for thought.

[joesnuffy]

The Chi Coms cant make even half way decent electronics or deal with US firms without Taiwanese engineers...

Rots of Ruck if they bomb Taiwan and vice versa...

Dealing with Chi Coms rather than Taiwanese is vely vely flustlating....

As the Chi Coms are vely big into CYA aka saving face

[maestro]

Multinational corporations 'planning to evacuate Japan'

/sarcasm

[Bonaparte]

Is anybody foolish enough to think that if we stood by and let China roll over on Taiwan they would stop there? Sooner or later, we would have to confront them. It's far better to stand by our commitment to Taiwan and face down the Chinese, than become known for abandoning an ally and allowing China to take over where the soviets left off.

[RightWhale]

do the US elections in 2004 affect Chinese attack plans

China would test a new President almost immediately.

[familyop]

That's fine. We'll get groups of working class men together to buy containers from Taiwan, then give the corporations here some competition. They've cowards for running away from Taiwan (great ally) so easily.

What it shows, is that they're all supporting Kerry for Pres. and running to trade with China. ...buncha jerks. Let 'em do it, then when the time comes, they can crawl into Chinese nuke shelters and pray for the first time in their lives. 'Cause if it happens, Taiwan, with its Pacific Rim friends and us, will certainly win.

[Squantos]

fyi

[familyop]

"Microsoft offers source code to China"
http://itmatters.com.ph/news/news_03032003a.html

Client testimonials, Bill Gates in China, Bill Clinton in China
http://www.beijinghighlights.com/testimonials/testimonials.htm

"State-owned Software Firm Ties up with Microsoft China"
http://fpeng.peopledaily.com.cn/200107/07/eng20010707_74398.html

"Soros, one of the wealthiest men in the world, promised $15.5
million to defeating President Bush. Also on this list are
Bill Gates,..."
http://www.americasvoices.org/archives2003/CoxJ/CoxJ_112403.htm

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave $8.8 million to the Planned Parenthood Federation.
http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/women/12/11/health.women.gates.reut/

Gates: Buy stamps to send e-mail
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/03/05/spam.charge.ap/

Bill Gates against repealing the inheritance tax
http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_inheritance.html

The Left-Wing Billionaire Collectivist Pigs
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/9/25/191020.shtml

Billionaire Collectivist Pigs on a Roll
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/10/11/171315.shtml

"Gun-Control Group Changes Name, Keeps Agenda"
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=%5C%5CNation%5C%5Carchive%5C%5C200106%5C%5CNAT20010615a.html
(and Bill is a contributor)

"Is Bill Gates a closet liberal?"
http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/01/cov_29feature.html
(Bill Gates for gun control, pro-abortion, etc.)

http://vikingphoenix.com/news/madminute/1997/mm970040.htm
(Gates on gun control)

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/july-dec97/guns_11-4.html
(more money for gun control from Gates and his father)

"Bill Gates Is No Free Market Hero"
http://brian.carnell.com/articles/2000/12/000046.html

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/datelinedc/s_176864.html

"the changing politics of Bill Gates" (national review, john j. miller)
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m1282/2_51/53662235/p1/article.jhtml

2002 Feb 2, In NYC protesters of the World Economic Forum turned
out in large numbers. Inside foreign economic leaders criticized
the US for protectionist policies, and Bill Gates and U2 rock star
Bono pushed for increases in foreign aid by rich countries to poor
countries."
http://timelines.ws/days/02_02.HTML

"Software, soft money, and Libertarians"
http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0039/news-anderson.shtml
[Bill gives money to both sides--whoever supports Microsoft and extreme social left policies. ...includes Barney Frank.]

[Ronin]

To put it more realistically, "Multinational corporations are planning to evacuate Taiwan in the event of a Kerry election win."

I strongly doubt that the ChiComs will try anything with Bush at the helm. But Kerry? They would walk all over him.

[hedgetrimmer]

Sounds like the big money is making plans to bug out

And American companies that have moved overseas with OPIC guarantees, will be refunded in full for any losses, thanks to the US taxpayer.

[snowsislander]

Actually, with respect to doing emergency planning, I don't see anything odd about these companies planning ahead for all types of scenarios, including one labeled "Incipient War", with response procedures labeled "Evacuation Procedures".

My experience is that at least some multinationals have staff that do nothing but Emergency Response Planning (ERP), Diaster Recovery Planning (DRP), and Business Continuity Planning (BCP). And having evacuation as an emergency response is not unusual; for instance, in Tokyo, which is just waiting on the next great earthquake, I believe that evacuation procedures are indeed considered and in place for some companies. (I wouldn't be surprised to find that generally such company plans are to evacuate within Japan for Tokyo earthquake scenarios.) Certainly, the civil authorities in Japan encourage planning; take a look at this recent symposium and this one also. (I notice that my drift could make it appear as the city of Tokyo's internal planning is to evacuate within Japan for earthquakes; I believe that it is instead the city's plan to evacuate residents to local aggregation points if evacuation procedures are activated (see page 26 for instance of the Tokyo Earthquake Handbook.) In fact, as Kobe in the Great Hanshin earthquake demonstrated, residents have a critical role in search and rescue, and transportation difficulties in a highly urban and industrialized area in the event of an earthquake are hard to overestimate. (Kobe also, unfortunately, showed many limitations with respect to planning, plan integration, and particularly lack of testing, especially with fire suppression systems -- somewhat of a surprise considering how much experience Japan has with massive fires in the 1923 Kanto earthquake as well as of course the great firebombing of Tokyo in WWII.))

You cannot do planning once an emergency begins; that's when you execute your procedures that you have in place (and usually there are still decisions to make even with the best plans in place.) Planning comes beforehand. Drawing up scenarios is a big part of your planning. If you were a planner in Taiwan right now, I believe that "Incipient War" would be a scenario where you would be well served to make sure your planning and procedures were up to date.

ERP can help alleviate losses in bad times, including human, financial, and reputational losses. Successfully done, it can make the best out of bad situations. Even minimally done, it certainly can help make things better.

[PersonalLiberties]

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