Criminal Activities and Culture of Taiwan

0 Country risk analysis on Taiwan
COUNTRY RISK ANALYSIS ON TAIWAN
Report on criminal activities and culture of
Taiwan
Azas Shahrier

Table of content
Topics Page
number
Executive summery 2
Introduction 3
Economy 5
Corruption & Bureaucracy 8
FDI statistics 10
Criminal activities & Fraud 15
Fraudulent activities 17
Popular cultures 19
Personal threats 20
Extremism 22
Precautionary measures 22
Recommendation 25
Bibliography 26

Executive Summery
Taiwan is relatively risk free country comparing to other country. From the time when Chinese
autonomist retreated to Taiwan, this little island has transformed itself quite differently from the
China. Thanks to a series of financial and economic reform by the Nationalist Party, Taiwan got
a head start on economic and democratic development. Taiwan had been benefited from rapid
industrialization and GDP escalation that brought about Taiwan Miracle during the latter half of
the 20th century, thus fetching one of the "Four Asian Tigers" in conjunction with Singapore,
South Korea and Hong Kong. There are many reasons behind Taiwan’s progress. Strong external
financial position. Support for R&D via public spending, Established democratic principles and
practices, World’s fourth-largest electronics producer, improved relations with mainland China
and many more are the strong parts that actually make the country different from others. There
are also some of limitations in Taiwan. Amongst them; foreign trade too concentrated on China,
immense relocations undermining industrial employment, Lack of services sector
competitiveness, Infrastructure development lagging compared to other Asian economies are
gravely weaknesses in this particular country. Taiwan is one of the most countries out there in
the world that actually managed to preserve an average of 5% growth over past few years. In the
midst of the world economy surrounded with a high vagueness deriving from euro debt
catastrophe, and the high oil price, diversifying some of your long-term portfolio, Taiwan might
be a very good place for investment now a days.

Introduction
Taiwan, a territory of the Republic of China, is an island in East Asia in the Western Pacific
Ocean. It is surrounded by the East China Sea, Philippine Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Proximate
countries include mainland China, the islands of Japan, and the Philippines. The geography of
Taiwan is rugged mountainous in the east. The government system is a multiparty democracy.
The chief of state is the President and the head of government is the Premier. Taiwan has a free
market economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system
and there is little government involvement. Taiwan is a member of Asian Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC).
Geography Taiwan
Location: Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea,
South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the
southeastern coast of China
Geographic
coordinates:
23 30 N, 121 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: 35,980 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km
water: 3,720 sq km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
Area -
comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline: 1,566.3 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to
August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Terrain: eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling
plains in west
Elevation
extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m
Natural
resources:
small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos

Land use: arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 75% (2001)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: earthquakes and typhoons
Environment -
current issues:
air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage;
contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered
species; low-level radioactive waste disposal
Environment -
international
agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's
international status
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements because of
Taiwan's international status
Geography -
note:
strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon
Strait
People Taiwan
Population: 22,894,384 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.7% (male 2,349,077/female 2,156,755)
15-64 years: 70.7% (male 8,205,933/female 7,980,056)
65 years and over: 9.6% (male 1,107,708/female 1,094,855) (2005
est.)
Median age: total: 34.14 years
male: 33.71 years
female: 34.57 years (2005 est.)
Population
growth rate:
0.63% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 12.64 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 6.38 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration
rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality
rate:
total: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy
at birth:
total population: 77.26 years
male: 74.49 years
female: 80.28 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility
rate:
1.57 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - NA

adult prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS -
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS -
deaths:
NA
Nationality: noun: Taiwan (singular and plural)
note: example: he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan
adjective: Taiwan
Ethnic groups: Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine
2%
Religions: mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%,
other 2.5%
Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.1% (2003)
Economy
Taiwan is economically minor compared to other nations, but within the past 50 years, Taiwan
has created an economic miracle, and its manufacturing products have been marketed and
shipped to the entire world. Taiwan has become ranked at number 16 of the major trade nations
as well as becoming an important venture capital resource of mainland China and southeastern
Asia. Over the past 20 years, Taiwan has become the world’s fourth largest ICT (Information
and Communication Technology) hardware producer and holds #1 ranking WW ICT product
market share with more than 10 particular products (e.g. Notebook PC, Desktop PC, Computer
Motherboard, Computer Server, CDT monitor, LCD monitor, Optical Disk Drive, Digital Still
Camera, WLAN, Mobile Phone, and PDA etc.) By estimation, 75% of PCs installed in the world
with Windows OS are produced by Taiwanese IT companies. Today, the entire production base
has mostly migrated to mainland China due to low cost in labor and land factors. However, the
Taiwanese entrepreneurs are dominating at least 75% of the ICT hardware production value

produced in the PRC (People’s Republic of China). Impressively, Taiwan is also the fourth
largest semiconductor industry in the world. Naturally, Taiwan is a major procurement center
(One-Stop-Shopping) for global ICT companies.
Today, while having moved the manufacturing production base to Mainland China, the industry
remaining in Taiwan has shifted its focus to research and development, and other innovative,
creative industries such as value-added service products, design, and the Digital Content
Industry.
GDP (purchasing
power parity) $576.2 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth
rate
6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita Purchasing power parity - $25,300 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by
sector
Agriculture: 1.7%
Industry: 30.9%
Services: 67.4% (2004 est.)
Labor force 10.22 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by
occupation
Agriculture 8%, industry 35%, services 57% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.5% (2004 est.)
Population below
poverty line 1% (2000 est.)
Household income or
consumption by
percentage share
Lowest 10%: 6.7%
Highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)
Inflation rate
(consumer prices) 1.7% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross
fixed) 18% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget Revenues: $67.41 billion
Expenditures: $76.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $14.4
billion (2004 est.)
Public debt 32.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture –
products Rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish
Industries Electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron
and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer
products, pharmaceuticals

Industrial production
growth rate
12.2% (2004 est.)
Electricity -
production 158.5 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity -
production by source
fossil fuel: 71.4%
hydro: 6%
nuclear: 22.6%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity -
consumption 147.4 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity – exports 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity – imports 0 kWh (2002)
Oil – production 500 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil – consumption 988,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil – exports N/A
Oil - imports N/A
Oil - proved reserves 2.9 million bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas -
production 750 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas –
consumption 6.64 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas – exports 410 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas – imports 6.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved
reserves 38.23 billion cu m (2004)
Current account
balance $21.16 billion (2004 est.)
Exports $170.5 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports –
commodities
Computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles, plastics
and rubber products, chemicals (2002)
Exports – partners China, including Hong Kong 37%, US 16%, Japan 7.7% (2004)
Imports $165.4 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports –
commodities
machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision
instruments (2002)
Imports – partners Japan 26%, US 13%, China, including Hong Kong 11%, South Korea
6.9% (2004)
Reserves of foreign
exchange and gold $246.5 billion (2004 est.)
Debt – external $55.5 billion (2004 est.)
Currency (code) New Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Currency code TWD
Exchange rates New Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 33.422 (2004), 34.418 (2003),
34.575 (2002), 33.8 (2001), 33.09 (2000)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for
FY00; calendar year (after FY00)

Corruption & Bureaucracy
In this section we have to discuss about bureaucracy and corruption of Taiwan in terms of
country risk analysis. It was tough to find those problems in websites but we tried to find
invisible risk of Taiwan.
Cronyism:
Most Taiwanese business is conducted among friends, friends of friends, and family. Such
connections or "guanxi" (pronounced gwan-she) are developed with people at your own level or
of a higher status in both business and social situations. "Guanxi" opens doors, smoothes out
problems, and leads to even more connections.
Taiwan is a rotten country, Taiwan's CPI (Corruption Perception Index, by Germany based
Transparency Int'l) rankings in recent 3 years are worse than those in 1998-2000 by about 8-9
positions in average.
Corruption in Taiwanese officials field is even worse ( more serious ) than that in China's
officials circle in last year, and about same score as China this year, according to a survey by
PERC , which was reported by most Taiwan's news media.
Corruption is not only throughout Taiwan's military, police, education systems,
Parliament/legislation, Public officials/civil servants, political parties, religious circles, media,
also lies in the judiciary & high court judges.
The reasons Taiwan had not really held a large anti-corruption campaign also include:
(1) Taiwan government is afraid of loss in political elections.
(2) The arrested suspects may disclose many more (other) "partners" implicated in the case, so
that Taiwan government can't handle it well.

The finding of the 2013 Global Corruption Barometer (GCB), ( the Gallup Poll to interview
114,000 people in 107 countries all over the world):
36% of people (surveyed in TW) who had used any of eight government services in the past year
had paid a bribe (the number is higher than global average).
Taiwan's worst corruption units:
(1) The came-out worst corruption institution: the Legislative Yuan (75 % of respondents feeling
the institution was affected by corruption)
(2) The political parties (74%)
(3) Taiwan's media (62%)
(4) Judiciary (57%)
(5) Police, the military, public officials and civil servants all finishing at 56 percent
(6) Non-governmental organizations (31%)
One of the principal human rights problems reported in Taiwan 2012 was judicial corruption.
“Although the authorities made efforts to eliminate corruption and diminish political influence in
the judiciary, some residual problems remained,” the report said.
The report also said that political commentators and academics had publicly questioned the
impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high-profile and politically sensitive cases.

Foreign Direct Investment Statistics
Statistics on foreign direct investment in Taiwan are available from two official sources: the
Investment Commission (IC), and the Central Bank (CBT). The IC publishes monthly and yearly
foreign investment approval statistics by industry and by country. While these statistics do not
correspond exactly to actual commitments of investment funds, AIT believes these data serve as
a good proxy. CBT publishes foreign direct investment arrivals on a quarterly and yearly basis.
CBT data contained in balance-of-payments (BOP) statistics are not classified by industry or
country.
As of the end of November 2011, Taiwan's total stock of foreign direct investment stood at
US$155.8 billion (valued at historical cost). This represents about 33.1% of Taiwan's 2011 GDP.
Total FDI inflows for the first eleven months of 2011, based on approvals, stood at US$4.5
billion, or about 1% of 2011 GDP. As of November 2011, Taiwan's foreign exchange reserves
amounted to US$388 billion, the fourth-largest in the world.
After experiencing a robust growth of 10.72% in 2010, buoyed partially by a low-base year
effect due to the global economic downturn in 2009, Taiwan's GDP trended down in the first
three quarters of 2011. Overall GDP in 2011 is expected to grow by 4.51%, according to official
forecasts. Inbound foreign direct investment approved from January to November of 2011
increased 34.6% year-on-year.
In recent years, foreign direct investment has shifted from capital-intensive high-tech industries
to investments in the financial service sector. Approved direct investment in electronics
industries (including electronic parts and components, computers, communications,
semiconductor, TFT-LCD and other optical electronic products), which peaked at 48.2% as a
percentage of FDI in 2006, declined steadily to 12.8% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage share

of FDI for financial services increased from 34.3% in 2006 to 39.7% in 2010. In the first eleven
months of 2011, nearly 75% of approved inbound direct investment in Taiwan’s electronics
industries came from the Hong Kong, the United States, and the British Territories in North
America (BTA). Nearly 70% of approved inbound direct investment in the financial and
insurance sectors came from Singapore, the United States, and the BTA.
According to official Taiwan statistics, approvals for U.S. investment from 1952 to 2010 totaled
US$21.6 billion (US$20.9 billion according to official U.S. figures), or 19.5% of total foreign
investment. These aggregate figures of investment stock are valued at historical cost. In the first
eleven months of 2011, 63.8 percent of U.S. total investments in Taiwan went to the service
sector. Approvals for Japanese investment from 1952 to 2010 amounted to US$16.5 billion, or
14.8% of total foreign investment.
As the tables below indicate, significant FDI now flows from the tax havens of the British
Territories in North America, which harbor a growing number of multinational corporations,
including those with Taiwan roots. Fifty-two percent of the investment from the BTA was
directed towards financial services, real estate and wholesale and retail trade industries.
As a relatively open and liberal economy, Taiwan not only benefits from substantial foreign
investment but also has significant investments overseas. According to balance-of-payments
statistics compiled by the Central Bank, outbound direct investment has exceeded inbound direct
investment every year since 1988. According to IC statistics, by 2010, cumulative approvals for
outbound investments totaled US$162.9 billion. The main recipient has been the PRC, which has
received nearly 60% of Taiwan’s outbound investment. Approved investments to China almost
doubled in 2010 compared to the previous year. As of the November 2011, Taiwan firms hold
investments estimated in excess of US$110 billion on the mainland, though some other estimates
suggest the figures could be from US$150 billion to US$300 billion.
Taiwan business firms have been relocating their production bases to China since the late 1980s.
The WTO accessions of the PRC and Taiwan in 2002 prompted Taiwan business firms to
accelerate this relocation to sharpen their competitive edge in exports. Taiwan factories based in
China use the lower labor and land costs to process Taiwan-made production inputs into finished

goods for exports to such industrial markets as the United States, Japan and Europe, and also for
final sale in China. Recently however, rising labor and land costs on the mainland have prompted
some Taiwan firms to move from China to economies in South and Southeast Asia, including
Vietnam. Many Taiwan firms have also shifted to producing higher value-added goods and
higher-tech products in China.
Taiwan's annual registered direct investment across the Taiwan Strait grew from US$1.25 billion
in 1999 to US $14.6 billion in 2010. As a result of this trend, Taiwan factories in China produced
slightly over 50% of export orders received by Taiwan companies’ headquarters by late 2010, up
from 11.5% in early 2000. The ratio is closer to 85% for information technology (IT) firms.
China, including Hong Kong, replaced the United States as Taiwan's largest export market in
2001, and its share of Taiwan's exports in 2010 was 41.8%, compared to 12% for the United
States and 11% for the European Union.
Table 1: Inward Foreign Investment Approvals by Year and by Area (1952-2010)
(Unit: US$ million)
Year U.S.A. Japan BTA* Europe
Hong
Kong
Others Total
1952-89 3,067 2,983 341 1,312 1,198 2,049 10,950
1990 581 839 66 283 236 297 2,302
1991 612 535 60 165 129 277 1,778
1992 220 421 37 165 213 405 1,461
1993 235 278 38 214 169 279 1,213
1994 327 396 76 245 251 336 1,631
1995 1,304 573 151 338 147 412 2,925
1996 489 546 417 198 267 544 2,461
1997 491 854 659 407 237 1,618 4,267
1998 952 540 711 371 275 890 3,739

Year U.S.A. Japan BTA* Europe
Hong
Kong
Others Total
1999 1,145 514 1,216 462 161 734 4,231
2000 1,329 733 2,300 1,213 271 1,762 7,608
2001 940 685 1,397 1,184 145 778 5,129
2002 600 609 803 612 66 582 3,272
2003 687 726 920 644 45 555 3,576
2004 361 827 897 965 192 710 3,952
2005 804 724 1,094 685 104 817 4,228
2006 883 1,591 1,786 7,510 119 2,080 13,969
2007 3,148 1,000 2,396 7,096 209 1,512 15,361
2008 2,857 440 1,220 2,139 377 1,199 8,232
2009 264 239 1,103 2,085 277 830 4,798
2010 319 400 1,059 1,231 168 635 3,812
1952-
2010
21,626 16,452 18,746 29,527 5,257 19,322 110,930
Source: Investment Commission
* British Territories in America
Table 2: Inward Foreign Investment Approvals by Industries (1952-2010)
Industry Million of US dollars %
Financial and Insurance 29,979 27.0%
Electronic Parts and Components 16,043 14.5%
Wholesale and Retail Trade 10,161 9.2%
Computers, Electronic & Optical Products 6,285 5.7%
Electricity Equipments 5,732 5.2%
Information and Communications 5,462 4.9%

Table 3: Outbound Investment Approvals by Year and by Area (1952-2010)
(Unit: US$ million)
Year China BTA U.S.A. ASEAN* Others Total
1952-89 N/A 76 865 429 155 1,525
1990 N/A 170 429 567 386 1,552
1991 174 268 298 720 370 1,830
1992 247 239 193 309 146 1,134
1993 3,168 194 529 434 504 4,829
1994 962 569 144 398 506 2,579
1995 1,093 370 248 326 413 2,450
1996 1,229 809 271 587 498 3,394
1997 4,334 1,051 547 641 655 7,228
1998 2,035 1,838 599 478 381 5,331
1999 1,253 1,359 445 522 943 4,522
2000 2,607 2,248 862 389 1,578 7,684
2001 2,784 1,693 1,093 523 1,083 7,176
2002 6,723 1,575 578 211 1,006 10,093
2003 7,699 1,997 467 298 1,207 11,668
2004 6,941 1,155 557 966 704 10,323
2005 6,007 1,262 315 264 606 8,454
2006 7,642 1,822 485 1,065 943 11,957
2007 9,971 1,578 1,346 2,094 1,461 16,441
2008 10,691 1,686 400 1,380 1,001 15,158
2009 7,143 544 1,114 401 947 10,148
2010 14,618 568 491 1,083 681 17,441
1952-10 97,321 23,072 12,274 14,086 16,166 162,919

Source: Investment Commission
Note: "ASEAN" here includes six of the ASEAN countries: Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Table 4: Outbound Investment Approvals by Industries (1952-2010)
Industry Million of US dollars %
Electronic Parts and Components 7,182 10.9%
Wholesale and Retail Trade 5,077 7.7%
Computers, Electronic & Optical Products 2,974 4.5%
Textiles 2,335 3.6%
Information and Communications 1,904 2.9%
Source: Investment Commission (outbound investment excluding to mainland China)
Criminal Activities & Fraud
Taiwan is a low treat country regarding criminal activity. Most of the crimes occur in the
metropolitan areas. The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) is not aware of any specific threats
directed against American citizens or U.S. government personnel.1
According to world ranking,
Taiwan is ranked fourth low risk country.
Organized crime
There are several prominent organized crime (OC) organizations in Taiwan. The four largest are
United Bamboo Gang, Four Seas Gang, Celestial Path Alliance Gang, and Songlian Gang.

Organized crime and gangs in Taiwan remain involved in local politics and businesses,
particularly in central and southern Taiwan. Their influence extends to the waste disposal,
construction, cable TV, communications, stock trading, entertainment, gambling, loan sharking,
debt collection, and prostitution industries. Due to aggressive law enforcement actions in the
past, the major OC organizations have devolved into local units that have their own management
structures and business interests; however, local units of the same organization will collaborate
to accomplish a goal. While the major OC groups do not engage in drug trafficking, Taiwan's
many street gangs do. Taiwan's organized crime groups and street gangs rarely target the
emigrant community.
Area Centric Criminal Activities
Although the overall violent crime rate in Taiwan is low, visitors should avoid high crime areas,
namely areas where massage parlors, barbershops, and nightclubs operate as covers for
prostitution and are often run by criminals. In contrast to these illegal fronts, ordinary
barbershops and other legitimate businesses prominently advertise their services, and visitors can
see the interiors through storefront windows. Illicit establishments generally do not advertise,
and casual passersby cannot view their interiors. Several U.S. citizens have been assaulted in
these establishments and in the areas near bar and nightclub districts. Taiwan’s public buses and
subway are generally considered safe, but passengers in taxis – particularly women - should
exercise caution when traveling alone in taxis late at night. In several parts of Taiwan, incidents
of purse snatching by thieves on motorcycles have been reported. Visitors should keep a
photocopy of their passport, other identification, and credit cards in a safe place.
Actions of the Law Enforcement Agencies
Taiwan's police and law enforcement personnel are very well trained and professional. They
support the foreign victims very perfectly for the reimbursement.
The Foreign Affairs Police, which is a division of the National Police Agency, is responsible for
crimes involving foreigners. English-speaking Foreign Affairs police officers assist foreigners
with a wide variety of law enforcement matters. The Foreign Affairs Police has English-speaking

police officers at all major police precincts during normal working hours. The Foreign Affairs
Police also maintain a 24-hour service center that is staffed by English-speaking officers around
the clock. In Taipei, the Foreign Affairs Service Center can be reached at any time. So if anyone
faces any problem then he will have less hassle while getting legal support.
Road Safety in Taiwan
Taiwan's metropolitan areas often see major traffic jams, which is why many people opt for the
scooters which are visible in abundance on Taiwanese roads. Although scooters allow visitors to
weave in and out of traffic and get from point A to point B faster than other means, this sort of
erratic driving does make for chaotic traffic, especially at peak hours, and bicycle and scooter
accidents are common. Added to the confusion are ongoing repairs and extensions of the MRT
underground system, as well as highway overpasses, have resulted in congestion at peak hours.
All passengers in all vehicles are required to wear seatbelts.
The highways in western and northern Taiwan are usually in good condition; however those in
eastern Taiwan are sometimes in disrepair. Road closures due to flooding are not uncommon in
typhoon season.
Fraudulent Activities in Taiwan
Taiwan is a very safe country and violent crime against foreigners is a rare occurrence. Expats in
Taiwan, particularly in metropolitan areas like Taipei, should exercise basic precautions as in
any large city, such as being aware of personal belongings in crowded markets. It is safe to walk
around or catch public transport at night, especially if you do not do so alone or in very isolated
areas.
The police are genuinely helpful and people are kind – if anyone is a foreigner in distress on the
street, within seconds someone will come to them for aid. Guns are outlawed and genuinely rare,
although some gangsters do have them. When crime takes place, it is almost always between

people who know each other and have a score to settle – as a foreigner, they are very unlikely to
get caught up in anything dangerous.
Pick Pocketing in Taiwan
Crowded public areas such as markets and public transport hubs are often targeted by
pickpockets and occasionally even bag snatchers. In these areas, expats should be careful not to
carry valuable items in open bags and should wear fanny packs or bags in the front of them. Bag
snatching from motorcycles also happens occasionally. The usual rules of travel apply - keep
photocopies of passports and other important documents in a safe place, and if possible carrying
the photocopies themselves in place of the original documents is indeed a better contingency.
Scams in Taiwan
The main kind of crime in Taiwan that expats should be aware of is scams. Credit card fraud is
common, as is telephone fraud, where the scam artist will call the victim and claim to be from a
government department, bank or other official office and request personal information such as
bank details. ATM fraud is also a risk – when using ATMs, awareness must me needed to avoid
scams from strangers.
Unique Cultural Issues
Taiwan could be said to be a hybrid blend of cultures that has been largely shaped by processes
of imperialism and colonization. At various times the people of Taiwan have been ruled by the
Dutch, Chinese, Imperial Japanese, postwar China and even, arguably, the United States. An
autonomous state now, the culture of Taiwan still bears the marks of these foreign powers as it
continues to struggle to find it owns conception of a national identity.
Religion in Taiwan
The prevalent form of religious belief in Taiwan is the traditional Chinese blend of Buddhism,
Daoism, and Chinese folk religion, including ancestral worship. However, there are also large
numbers of devotees to each of these belief systems. Confucianism remains a major influence on

personal philosophy and ethics. The government on Taiwan has continued the tradition of
honoring Confucius and his lineal descendants.
It is safe to say that every major world religion has some followers in Taiwan. Taipei in
particular will be home to the overwhelming majority of these communities. Christian churches
have been active in Taiwan for many years, the majority of which are Protestant. 2.6% of the
population identify themselves as Protestant, with Presbyterians playing a particularly significant
role. With the recent influx of immigrants from Malaysia and Indonesia there is also an active
and growing Islamic population in Taiwan.
Several organizations, especially Buddha’s Light International Association and Tzu Chi, have
extended their operations around the world. There are frequent contacts between Matsu temples
in Taiwan and those in Fujian on the mainland. Likewise, there are close contacts between
Buddhist organizations in Taiwan and those on the mainland.
Popular Culture in Taiwan
The 1990′s and early 2000′s saw the emergence of bands and artists of diverse styles, such as
LTK Commune, Labor Exchange Band, Chairman, Sugar Plum Ferry, Medicine Jar,
Backquarter, Ladybug, Feiwu, Sodagreen, Deserts Chang, Fire EX, 8mm Sky, and ChthoniC.
The annual Formoz Festival, Spring Scream, and Hohaiyan Rock Festival are representative
gatherings within Taiwan’s music scene. Of these, Formoz Festival is notable for its international
draw, with foreign artists such as Yo La Tengo, Moby, Explosions in the Sky and Caribou
headlining the event, while Spring Scream is the largest local band event, and Hohaiyan draws a
mixed crowd of beach side party-goers and music appreciators alike.
Recent Taiwanese popular singers/bands include Cyndi Wang, S.H.E, 5566, Rainie Yang, Da
Mouth and much more. The popular culture of the Taiwanese people has also influenced
Chinese-speaking populations in other countries such as China, Malaysia and Singapore. For
instance, a significant band, May Day has taken these countries by storm.

Internet cafes, also known as “Wang Ka”, are very popular with the younger generation who
spend endless hours playing online games. It has reached a point where many parents and
teachers are concerned with the amount of time youth spend in the virtual world.
The Taiwanese movie director Ang Lee is also popular in the West (his movies include Lust,
Caution, Brokeback Mountain, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Musical artists such as
Jay Chou, Alan Luo, Jolin Tsai and David Tao have gained international fame performing
throughout Asia. Taiwan is also known for its many TV game shows, some of which are so
popular that they are aired across Asia and some Western countries.
Anime and manga comics are also very popular in Taiwan. It is common to see a manga rental
shop or a manga store every couple of streets in larger cities.
Personal threats
As we said earlier that Taiwan pretty safe country for investment still there are some of violent
crimes which is increasing against foreign investors in Taiwan. so therefore travelers should
consider some carefulness and take personal security countermeasures appropriate to any major
metropolitan city. One should give awareness to personal belongings in crowded areas, such as
night markets and during large-scale public events, where pick pocketing and petty theft is more
likely to happen. Residential thefts do occur, particularly in buildings without 24-hour security
coverage.
 There are some of ethnic Taiwanese criminal groups also have appeared in the
geographical areas under study here. Taiwanese organized gangs had diversified
significantly in activity and spread to other parts of the world. They organize countless of
criminal activities throughout the country. So, before entering into Taiwan
businesspeople has to comprehend the whole scenario and question themselves whether
they can survive there or not if not then they should not consider Taiwan as there as
investments.

 Scam is common throughout Taiwan. The doer of the fraud influences the victim to
provide personal banking information or want large amounts of cash to the caller by
stating that the victim's funds are involved in criminal activity and they represents
themselves as very important personnel. It is one example of many frauds which are
usually practiced in Taiwan.
 If you consider political unrest, Taiwan does not have any records of terror campaign,
large conflicts between parties or civil unrest. Taiwan is a full-fledged democratic
country.
 Now if we consider the road safety, major highways throughout Taiwan are in good
restore and condition, expansion of the subway system has resulted in road closures and
blockages, which hamper traffic during peak traffic hours. Highway overpass
construction in Taiwan has also caused some traffic delays now a day. So traffic jam is a
normal incident in Taiwan much like Bangladesh, one should schedule his day with this
fact in mind. Taiwan contains a very strict traffic laws, although they may not always be
enforced. The most difficult aspect of driving in Taiwan is the endless streams of motor
scooters and motorcycles roving Taiwan's roadways all day long. They don’t follow any
traffic regulations and they use any sort of means to drive fast. It makes more difficult to
drive in Taiwan. Because of disorganized driving, accidents involving are frequent and
sometimes deadly.
 The threat of kidnappings has greatly reduced over the past few years and is directed first
and foremost at wealthy and/or high-profile Taiwanese individuals and families.
 Crime of using or selling narcotics has greatly diminished due to aggressive law
enforcement action. Taiwan authorities prolong to make stronger anti-drug efforts
through enhanced airport interdiction, coast guard and customs checks, supervision, and
other investigative methods.

Extremism
There are currently no worldwide nor intercontinental terrorism concerns or issues that have an
effect on Taiwan. As we mentioned earlier that Taiwan does not have any record of terrorism,
war or civil unrest in last few years. Protests and manifestation take place on a regular basis in
Taiwan's major cities, particularly during elections. Protests are an accepted part of political life
in Taiwan and are generally peaceful comparing to Bangladesh. Demonstrations rarely turn
aggressive, although they may occasionally become challenging between opposing groups.
Precautionary measures
Precautionary measures are steps/actions which are carried out to ensure that nothing bad
happens. It is important that before entering into any country we have to know what the things
that might go wrong and what can be done to avoid those circumstances.
Medical safety
People should be careful of comparatively undercooked food. Many Taiwanese restaurants
present plates of raw, sliced red meat and lightly cooked sea foods that are brought to the table
and either barbecued or simmered in a pan of stash. As this constitutes a staple of the Taiwanese
diet, any germs that may remain doesn't affect the locals, but it can cause disorder with
foreigners. The best policy is to make sure that one cook the food in a manner to which he or she
is accustomed.
Taiwan’s medical system is comparatively good. Most medical emergency medical conditions
can be appropriately treated in Taiwan. Air ambulance services can be arranged. Medicines are

available for minor illness at drug stores. Anyone can also find common drugs requiring an
instruction in the west cheaply available from drug stores without a prescription. Taiwan has
equally Chinese physicians and Western doctors, both of which are taken equally seriously. The
quality of the hospitals in Taiwan is excellent and on par, if not better, with those found in the
West. Taiwan's health care program is considered as one of the best health care in the world.
Legal residents with a National Health Card can avail themselves of the very convenient and
efficient national health service, which covers treatment and medication using both Western and
traditional Chinese medicine. Hospital visits and medicine in Taiwan tends to be far less
expensive than in the west. For minor ailments and problems. Outside the major cities, it might
be difficult to find a doctor who speaks English, so travelers should try to learn some basic
language before heading off.
Hotel safety
Taiwan is one of the busy countries out there. It does not take rest. There are hundreds of 24/7
stores in there. For the budget-minded people, there are hostels in all over the city and most other
sizable cities. Camping is also offered in many areas. Motels can be easily found in suburbs of
major cities. Regardless of the name, these have little if anything to do with the cheap functional
hotels that use the name elsewhere.
Taiwanese hotels range in quality from seamy to very luxurious. Even though the complexities
of doing big business with both China and Taiwan, most Western hotel chains operate in Taiwan.
Also, there is bounty of five-star hotels around. Travelers have to keep in mind, though, that
many of the worldwide hotels be likely to be outrageously expensive, while comparable and
much cheaper accommodation is usually available in the same neighborhood. Cab drivers and
tourist offices are very useful resources for finding cheaper hotels. One should stay in reputable
hotels and ask room between 3rd
and 8th
floor. Should not handover passport to anyone unless
required and try to remember most of the details on his passport so they don’t have to bring out
the documents.
Travel precautions:
Neighborhood drivers have a richly deserved status for being extremely hasty and downright
depraved. It is possible or even normal to obtain a driving license in Taiwan without ever having

driven on the roads and as for that this is may be a reason why well-mannered or self-protective
driving is certainly not the standard, much like our country. And another important thing is that
one should arrange to have someone familiar to pick him or her at the airport. Overall travelers
have to very careful when they are travelling and they need to understand some basic language to
communicate with the drivers, as maximum of them don’t even speak English.

Recommendation
As we all know that before entering into a country to do business, firstly we need to do an overall
country research on that country. We have to recognize and capture all the opportunities and all
the related risks before investing a large amount in that particular country. With comprehensive
supply chain and industrial cluster effect, Taiwan industries are well developed. Through total 25
cities and counties, Taiwan possesses diversified investment opportunities and business activities
to attract investors worldwide. The business environment in Taiwan is really good comparing to
the other countries. Taiwan might have some of the problems like other countries but still for
past few years it’s a pretty superior country for investment as the economy condition of this
country is far healthier than the other countries. But still, one should look for all the potentials
and consider all other associated risks before entering. As we all know that risk is available for
all sorts of business, but one has to know how to handle those risks. In Taiwan, there are several
recommended industries for Foreign Investment, such as Medical Devices Industry, Smart
Handheld Device MEMS Industry, Telecare Industry, Smart Handheld Device Panel Industry,
Lithium Battery Industry, Cloud Computing Industry, Automotive Semiconductor Industry,
Electric Vehicle Industry, Automotive Electronics Industry, and 3D Digital Content Industry.
Purpose or goal of a business is the most important thing. Before entering into Taiwan, investors
should consider all the possibilities and they should be certain that those opportunities actually
fulfill their goals. Many international firms are setting up base in Taiwan to target the large and
lucrative Chinese market because of the better investment environment for their investment and
to target or capture a whole new market segment. So as far by our own research, we can
recommend Taiwan as one of many countries for investment.

Bibliography
1. http://www.intlhumanrights.com/Corruption
http://www.state.gov/e/eb/rls/othr/ics/2012/191245.htmOfTaiwan.htm
2. http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blctaiwan.htm
3. Industrial Competitiveness. (n.d.). Retrieved from Investment Opportunities:
www.digitimes.com.tw/
4. Trade and Investments. (2012). Retrieved from www.taiwantrade.com.tw/MAIN
5. Trade Investment environment. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.moea.gov.tw
6. Trade opportunities. (n.d.). Retrieved from Trade arabia:
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/
7. Taiwan 2012 Crime and Safety Report. (2012, February 20). Retrieved from osac.gov:
https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.asp
8. http://www.euromoneycountryrisk.com/Wiki/Taiwan#Financial-Indicators-&-
Government-Financial

Criminal Activities and Culture of Taiwan

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Criminal Activities and Culture of Taiwan

Similar to Criminal Activities and Culture of Taiwan (20)

More from Azas Shahrier

More from Azas Shahrier (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Criminal Activities and Culture of Taiwan