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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Chinese barred from buying AIDC stock
Minister of National Defense Yen Ming, right, and Aerospace Industrial Development Corp （AIDC） chairman Jason Liu answer questions about AIDC’s privatization at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
/ Staff writer, with agencies
The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday said it would bar Chinese investors from investing in Aerospace Industrial Development Corp （AIDC, 漢翔） after the state-run aircraft maker goes public, for the purpose of safeguarding national security.
“AIDC will never move to China or become an enterprise managed by Chinese shareholders,” Minister of Economic Affairs Chang Chia-juch （張家祝） told the legislature’s Economics Committee. “Society should not have worries about whether Taiwan will lose its national security with AIDC getting privatized.”
AIDC plans to debut on the Taiwan Stock Exchange by the end of this month, after operating as a government-owned civilian and military aircraft manufacturer since 1992.
Chang said the ministry would remain the corporation’s largest shareholder, with a stake of more than 65 percent, even after it sells its shares to private investors.
The purpose of privatizing the corporation is to push it to compete in the global market, Chang said, adding that it would be able to enhance its operational efficiency and deliver better financial results without the government’s control.
“Now is the perfect time for AIDC to go public, as the company is well-developed and ready to explore the market on its own,” Chang said. “The government will fulfill its duty to safeguard the country’s national security and forbid Chinese investors from participating in AIDC’s privatization process.”
However, Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） Legislator Su Chen-ching （蘇震清） said the ministry should not sell its shares in the corporation without the legislature’s approval, adding that the ministry did not submit a proposal to the legislature before it started work on the privatization.
Echoing Su, DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim （蕭美琴） asked Chang whether the ministry is privatizing the corporation behind the scenes for unknown purposes, asking: “Why can’t the legislature review AIDC’s privatization? Why should AIDC go public in such a rush?”
Chang responded that the ministry submitted a report to the legislature about the corporation’s privatization plan in February, adding that the reputation of the government and the corporation would suffer if the stock market launch were postponed in accordance with the committee’s request.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
