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Rapprochement across the Taiwan Straits appears to grow by leaps and bounds, as a Chinese charity group will visit Taiwan to deliver its philanthropy by donating NTD500 million to the disadvantaged families on the island. Its moves did spur much fanfare and mixed reaction.

China economy has shifted into higher gears, hitching a double-digit record-breaking ride and already overtaking Japan as global second largest. Its prosperity allows it not only to join hands with EU for a financial bailout, but also lend a hand to its “fellow” Taiwanese. While skepticism about its motives is rampant, we should laud the slender lifeline to those financially-pinched, particularly ahead of lunar new year holidays.

There shouldn’t be any gridlock or row in both-sides political relation, a hope only expected to come real after China regards Taiwan as a de facto sovereign entity. More donations will be welcomed, though, to make more headways in the relation. After all, the island has grappled with tons of domestic problems: still annoying jobless rate, weakening national fiscal coffers, widening income gap, runaway inflation, and ongoing dispute about mayoral elections results last Dec.

The government has claimed it has done a heckuva good homework, cutting jobless rate below the 5% mark to 4.67% last Dec., translating into a total of 520,000 people out of job currently. However, the fact about a rising hiring of temporary workers, a system seemingly adopted increasingly by local firms, to nearly 1 million will overshadow the government-guided glee. The rate might be even soaring if excluding the figures of temp workers. Against the backdrop, continued outflow of capital and lack of new factories will additionally knock wind out of labor market in the offing. Besides an embellishing act, what else can the government map out to prop up the embattled market?

Couple weeks ago, Hon Hai Precision firmly pledged its vow to expand presence in China by recruiting 180,000 persons for its newly-set factory in ZenZhou city, Honan province, China. That is a lavish and heady number, in a sharp contrast to its snail pace of job creation in Taiwan. The global-caliber electronic maker years ago once announced plan to set up a software industrial park in Kaoshiung city, Taiwan. That establishment, if coming on stream, was widely viewed to unleash a nifty, widespread ripple effect through the tech sector, but was ultimately proved to be much ado about nothing. It’s heartening to see some big-name firms still headquartered on the island. Alas !

The island has made noteworthy progress to lure overseas firms to issue TDR, with more waiting in the wings as reported. Though enlarging listing numbers on Taiwan stock market can help its course apace to evolve into a so-called financial hub in Asia, such a lift in the long haul only spells well for those upcoming listed firm which can borrow at a lower cost in Taiwan with their listing records and market prices appraised as gauges for their respective bank collaterals. Partly attracting them to float TDR is due to relatively higher liquidity in Taiwan market amid no requirement to build new plants here in Taiwan. A possible scenario staged by them to further drain capital out of Taiwan, much common during market's preceding heydays, has loomed with little chances to be ruled out.

We need its capital inflow as well as cash donation, now that China is red-hot in economy. It is not a bad omen at all when our friends get richer. Plus, we need a self-sustaining rebounding path both in economy and job market. Thanks to Chinese billionaires, we should sincerely wish this is a start instead of a blip in the new trend for them to send money inwardly.  There is no need to be unnerved to embrace China's paltry-deemed, charitable money warmly, at least it sounds an alarm to Taiwan government which would otherwise remain as a snoozer.  If everything goes well, will their donations make you feel great?