Most Taiwan businessmen used to invest in the Chinese mainland's manufacturing industry, but now more and more of them are interested in the services sector. And they are calling for more government support for a conducive operational environment.
Taiwan businessman Chen Guoyuan has worked on the mainland for almost 10 years. He was earlier in the media industry, but joined the services sector in 2015. Now he runs this hotpot restaurant in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang province.
For those Taiwan manufacturers who entered the mainland from 2000 to 2010, their revenues have been on a decline. But after 2010, many Taiwan residents came to the mainland to run catering services, which seem to be a promising industry.
Chen said the mainland's catering, cultural and creative industries have become the hotbed for Taiwan investors and start-ups. But he hoped the operational environment in the services sector could be further improved.
"Most Small and Medium-sized businesses from Taiwan like us, don't have huge capital, but we have big dreams on the mainland. We hope the central government will build a more complete, equal and fair regulatory system for all the businessmen from Taiwan and the mainland alike," Chen said
As the mainland's economy grows, so does its demand for better services. Chen said Taiwan's services sector has rich experience in management and global expansion. And more Taiwan businessmen should tap the mainland's market with their know-how.
From hotpot restaurants to coffee chains and bakery shops, a growing number of Taiwan businesspeople have expanded their investments in the service sector in the Chinese mainland. They hope that the trading and investment environments will be further facilitated as cross-strait ties develop.
