Good for Google –– and smart to open in the sovereign democracy of Taiwan rather than China.
Google will open a new office complex and add hundreds of jobs in Taiwan
31–40 of 85 posts
Re: Google will open a new office complex and add hundreds of jobs in Taiwan
#32I am glad to see Taiwan getting this type of attention from a major tech company. Taiwan's economy really needs an economic lift, after decades of brain drain and economic dominance by the People's Republic of China, the United States, and Japan. I am concerned, though, that this is Google's way of getting around issues of not being able to operate with a free hand in China, i.e. it will serve as a platform for devel…
Another more depressing assessment: Google is placing a bet on annexation, as the PRC has repeatedly insisted it will do by any means necessary
Unlikely. Taiwan is really no closer to annexation now than it was in 1972. The situation with Taiwan has always been left intentionally vague. The CCP doesn't have to suffer the humiliation of acknowledging their own impotence and illegitimacy in bringing a 'rogue province' to heel, and the US doesn't have to maintain troops in Taiwan. No one is happy, but no one has to go to war either.
Re: Google will open a new office complex and add hundreds of jobs in Taiwan
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
At the end of the day, laws and authority are just a bunch of humans playing make believe with each other. It all comes down to enforcement. Without enforcement, laws and authority are meaningless. Take the USA and England as analogous to Taiwan and China. In the 1700s, England had a "One-England policy" and claimed authority over the US colonies. The US colonies disagreed. Some of the international community acknowl…
A key difference is that the governments of the British colonies in North America were officially installed by, and reported to, Britain. cf. the Taiwanese government, the KMT, which at one point controlled the mainland, but was pushed into exile on Taiwan by the communists. The existence of a free Taiwan threatens the legitimacy of the communist government on the mainland: the PRC, like most propaganda-fueled author…
Another key difference is that Taiwan Strait is much narrower than the Atlantic Ocean.
Re: Google will open a new office complex and add hundreds of jobs in Taiwan
#34I am glad to see Taiwan getting this type of attention from a major tech company. Taiwan's economy really needs an economic lift, after decades of brain drain and economic dominance by the People's Republic of China, the United States, and Japan. I am concerned, though, that this is Google's way of getting around issues of not being able to operate with a free hand in China, i.e. it will serve as a platform for devel…
Another more depressing assessment: Google is placing a bet on annexation, as the PRC has repeatedly insisted it will do by any means necessary Unlikely. Taiwan is really no closer to annexation now than it was in 1972. The situation with Taiwan has always been left intentionally vague. The CCP doesn't have to suffer the humiliation of acknowledging their own impotence and illegitimacy in bringing a 'rogue province'…
Some differences between 1972 and 2019 include the U.S. no longer has a military presence in Taiwan, and the PRC has engaged in a vast modernization of the PLA, including its air force and navy (https://thediplomat.com/2018/09/less-visible-aspects-of-chin...).
Is it enough to carry out a successful amphibious assault on and occupation of Taiwan? Maybe not (see https://www.ft.com/content/44586804-195c-11e9-9e64-d150b3105...), but Beijing is very adept at pulling other strategic levers to undermine Taiwan's economy, society, and democratic institutions.
Re: Google will open a new office complex and add hundreds of jobs in Taiwan
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
A key difference is that the governments of the British colonies in North America were officially installed by, and reported to, Britain. cf. the Taiwanese government, the KMT, which at one point controlled the mainland, but was pushed into exile on Taiwan by the communists. The existence of a free Taiwan threatens the legitimacy of the communist government on the mainland: the PRC, like most propaganda-fueled author…
It's also just not a good analogy because Britain didn't have missiles pointed across the strait, or a humongous military that Taiwan has even acknowledged they can't contend with. Diplomacy is the only thing that's kept Taiwan free in the current state of affairs.
Well, the threat of nuclear war with the U.S. also helps with stability a bit.
Re: Google will open a new office complex and add hundreds of jobs in Taiwan
#36Interesting. If I were Taiwanese, I would be very wary of the aspirations, and perhaps keep a #BlockSidewalk campaign idling in the driveway. I don't trust Google's ability to steward and govern a thoughtful city-building project that respects local agency and cares to tread softly around local power and autonomy
Re: Google will open a new office complex and add hundreds of jobs in Taiwan
#37I am glad to see Taiwan getting this type of attention from a major tech company. Taiwan's economy really needs an economic lift, after decades of brain drain and economic dominance by the People's Republic of China, the United States, and Japan. I am concerned, though, that this is Google's way of getting around issues of not being able to operate with a free hand in China, i.e. it will serve as a platform for devel…
>Google is placing a bet on annexation
Why would that possibly be a reason to invest in Taiwan? Unless you can somehow imagine that "annexation" is a purely de jure arrangement that leaves Taiwan's regulatory structure untouched (very unlikely), any corporate structure you erect will have to be totally rebuilt upon annexation (employment law changes, people move, etc); if you're lucky you can keep the buildings (assuming they aren't bombed).
The better reason IMO would be that Taiwan is at this point cheaper than Japan or South Korea, safer than mainland SE Asia, and has (much) more room for growth than Singapore. As a base of operations in East Asia it is one of the best choices, political stability notwithstanding.
Re: Google will open a new office complex and add hundreds of jobs in Taiwan
#38I am glad to see Taiwan getting this type of attention from a major tech company. Taiwan's economy really needs an economic lift, after decades of brain drain and economic dominance by the People's Republic of China, the United States, and Japan. I am concerned, though, that this is Google's way of getting around issues of not being able to operate with a free hand in China, i.e. it will serve as a platform for devel…
Why is developing Chinese language services a bad thing?
Re: Google will open a new office complex and add hundreds of jobs in Taiwan
#39I am glad to see Taiwan getting this type of attention from a major tech company. Taiwan's economy really needs an economic lift, after decades of brain drain and economic dominance by the People's Republic of China, the United States, and Japan. I am concerned, though, that this is Google's way of getting around issues of not being able to operate with a free hand in China, i.e. it will serve as a platform for devel…
>Google is placing a bet on annexation Why would that possibly be a reason to invest in Taiwan? Unless you can somehow imagine that "annexation" is a purely de jure arrangement that leaves Taiwan's regulatory structure untouched ( very unlikely), any corporate structure you erect will have to be totally rebuilt upon annexation (employment law changes, people move, etc); if you're lucky you can keep the buildings (ass…
Annexation can take place with the direct threat of extreme violence but without a shot being fired, a la Hitler's "Anschluss" of 1938.
Under the terms of the 1997 Hong Kong handover, China allowed some institutions to be preserved (albeit greatly watered down) while permitting foreign companies to continue operations and have better access to the larger market (mainland China). Beijing regularly trots out this "One Country, Two Systems" model for Taiwan, something that many Taiwanese reject (recent survey results: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3663870)
I agree with your second point. Positioning Taiwan as a center of Asian operations is something Taipei actively promoted in the late 1990s as Hong Kong waned as an international center of business. It never took off then, but I hope it can get some traction now.
Re: Google will open a new office complex and add hundreds of jobs in Taiwan
#40>Last year, the project trained about 5,000 students in AI technology and 50,000 digital marketers. I feel like Taiwan represents a talent opportunity like no other. I dream of starting an engineering company there that is literally a clone of some upcoming business model, and doing nothing but capping the work week at 40 hours and guaranteeing 4 weeks vacation. I could snipe the best talent on hand in the country, w…
This will be good for Taiwan and god Google. They already have a pretty decent presence in TW, though my understanding is there was some env but not a whole lot of eng. This will up the presence. It’s interesting they’re doing more in TW than in JP (if it’s strictly about talent rather than a kind of bridge to China).
It be good if Google influences a better work-life balance given the propensity to stay in the office till the boss leaves even when there’s nothing to do (it’s not just a trope in their TV shows, it actually happens a lot for office workers).