Friday, February 20, 2009

Corruption Scandals and Taiwan's Tech Sector

Allegations keep coming out about various Taiwanese technology business leaders giving bribes to former First Lady, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍 or Wu Shu-zhen in pinyin romanization), while her husband, Chen Shuibian, was president. According to Next Magazine (台灣壹週刊), technology leaders, such as Hon Hai's Terry Gou (郭台銘 or Guo Tai-Ming) and TSMC's Morris Chang (張忠謀 or Zhang Zhongmou), were named in a February 3 affidavit by Wu (link here). Chang has denied any wrongdoing and TSMC has publicly donated to both the KMT and the DPP in the past (link). TSMC as the best run and probably most transparent company in Taiwan is the least likely candidate to be involved in such shenanigans. Another large tech firm is getting tainted by similar allegations. Quanta, the large computer contract manufacturer, appears to be under investigation for allegedly bribing the Chen family for land in the Longtan Science Park although the firm has denied it (link).

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