Demonstrators shouted slogans such as: “Boost the economy, save Taiwan,” and “Buy Taiwanese products, keep jobs at home for our children and grandchildren.”“We are experiencing a wave of redundancies and closures because of the stagnant economy. We need the government’s help to provide better incentives for our industries and to have better policies to promote MIT products,” alliance chairman Huang Kuang-yi (黃光藝) said. Traditional industries are facing difficulties with the worldwide economic slowdown, but the situation has gotten worse because China is carrying out a “policy to impoverish Taiwan,” Huang said. “So Beijing has cut quotas for tourists to Taiwan and is reducing trade with our manufacturers.”Huang said that MIT products account for about 20 percent of the domestic market and this proportion could increase if Taiwanese endorsed a “Buy MIT products” campaign. “Buying more Taiwan-made products support many SMEs in the traditional industries and keesp jobs in Taiwanese hands,” Huang said.

Source: Taipei Times December 01, 2016 16:02 UTC