Taiwanese to Boost Realty Investments in Southland

Get ready for a jump in Taiwanese real estate investments in the Southland.

That’s the forecast of Mou-Hui King, chairman of the China Steel Corp. and leader of an investment study group visiting the Southland.

King says that Taiwanese now have about $8 billion invested here, most of it in real estate.

Why the coming jump? According to King:

1--Taiwan has a lot of dollar reserves--about $60 billion.

2--The Taiwan government is making it easier for its citizens to invest here.

What kind of real estate investments will the Taiwanese be looking for?

“All kinds--commercial, industrial and residential,” said John C. I. Ni, director general of the Industrial Development and Investment Center of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. “Compared to the Japanese and even the Korean firms, ours are small to medium. This includes both our state-owned and private firms.”

Both King and Ni emphasized that whenever possible, the Taiwanese will want to participate in construction.

Joseph V. O’Donnell, regional managing partner, Coopers & Lybrand, said that the Taiwanese will try to avoid inflating real estate values. “They are going to approach their investments in a business-like and scientific manner--unlike some other foreign investors.”