At the end of last year, the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan published its EU-Taiwan Relations brochure for the year 2021. One of the statements in the chapter on Taiwanese companies’ investment in the EU came as a surprise for many: by 2020, the Netherlands held the largest Taiwanese FDI stock in the EU, accounting for 49 percent of the total investments from Taiwan to the EU, while Hungary came in second place with a share of 18.8 percent.
While the Netherland’s position doesn’t require further explanation (as it is one of the world’s most attractive destinations for foreign investment, mainly for regulatory reasons), Hungary’s position is perhaps less understandable at first, given the country’s firm support towards China. The question arises: Why do Taiwanese companies choose the most China-friendly country as a major investment location in the EU?
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