Exports from Taiwan to China accounted for 8.5% of China’s total inbound shipment in the first seven months of 2015, making it the nation’s fourth largest importer, the directorate-general of budget, accounting and statistics reported, Focus Taiwan reported. China’s top three importers during the period are South Korea (10.1%), the United States (9%) and Japan (8.6%), with Germany (5.4%) rounding up the top five, according to a DGBAS report issued on Aug. 25, which cited statistics released by China’s General Administration of Customs. In 2004, China’s top five importers were Japan (16.8%), the European Union (12.5%), Taiwan (11.5%), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (11.2%) and South Korea (11.1%). With the rise of the “red supply chain,” a fast-growing cluster of high-tech components cultivated by Beijing, the impact of Taiwan’s foreign direct investment in China on bilateral trade has dwindled in recent years and the share of Taiwan’s imports fell to 8.5% in the first seven months of 2015, compared with 11.3% in 2005, the DGBAS said.
