| Abstract: | Although Taiwan businessmen have called for direct transportation links across the Taiwan Strait for the purpose of saving costs and time in shipping cargo across the Strait, the government of the Republic of China (ROC), due to national security considerations, has assumed a conservative attitude in this matter To meet cross-Strait commercial needs, Taiwan has opened an offshore shipping (or “point-to-point direct transportation,” as referred to by mainland China) center in Kaohsiung to handle the transshipment and processing of cargo to be delivered between mainland China and third countries. However under the current arrangement, cargo delivered between the two sides of the Strait still must make a transit or through a third area, and this continues to create problems for Taiwan businesses.
This article will first examine the impact of the offshore shipping center on Taiwan businesses’ commercial activities, and then evaluate the center from a retrospective and prospective view. Finally, the author will make some suggestions based on his research findings. |
