George Wood Obtains Ph.D.

In Business Administration

BY DANIEL FOONG

A Taiwan industry leader has called on the government to work out new measures to induce Taiwan investors who have made offshore investments in mainland China to return to Taiwan for further development.

George Wood, chairman of the Taiwan Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association and chairman of the TBS Group Corporation, made the appeal during an interview with this publication in view of the new tax system stipulated by the government in mainland China and the growing labor and production costs there.

Wood noted that 20 years ago when Taiwan 's economy was booming, Taiwan businessmen began to move to mainland China and other neighboring countries for offshore investment. Now that mainland China 's economy is the fastest growing in the world, Taiwan investors in the Chinese mailand are mulling to move over to Vietnam whose economy has been developing fast among other Asian countries over the last several years.

Investors urged to return to Taiwan

"Instead of going to Vietnam for investment, I rather urge the Taiwan businessmen having investments in mainland China to return to Taiwan for investments and keep their roots here. On the other hand, the government in Taiwan should set up new measure to attract the Taiwan investors across the Taiwan Straits to return to the island. Now is the good time to encourage them to return and stay," stressed George Wood who was elected chairman of the Taiwan Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association about three years ago. He is quite likely that he will be reelected the TSMA chairman this year, according to industry sources.

George Wood also advised the government to exert more efforts on developing Taiwan 's economy which has been reportedly on a slumping status over the last few years, instead of creating political uncertainty, adversely affecting its economic development.

The TSMA chairman said the 2008 Taipei International Sporting Goods Show (TaiSPO) will be bigger in scale than the previous exhbitions and will be held for the first ime at the newly completed exhibition hall in Nangang, about a 15-minute drive from the exhibition halls of the Taipei World Trade Center. The Taipei International Cycle Show will be held concurrently at the new Nangang Exhibition Hall on March 13-16, 2008.

George Wood said the 2-in-1 show will certainly attract more foreign buyers and visitors to the fairs.

Acquisition of doctoral degree

George Wood said he, as chairman of the Taiwan Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, has invited industry leaders from 13 countries to attend a barbecue party in the evening of March 12, one day before the opening of the TaiSPO 2008. Around 40 people, including foreign and local industry leaders as well as government officials will be led to visit the National Traditional Arts Center in Ilan in the afternoon the same day.

Following several years of intensive studies during the weekends at National Taiwan University, George Wood has not long ago obtained a doctoral degree in business administration from a university in Switzerland . With the acquisition of the Ph.D. degree, Wood said he has been invited to give academic lectures at various universities throughout Taiwan . The TSMA chairman has expressed interest to teach at institutions of higher learning in the future.