The management committee of Hunan's Taiwan Investment Park, located in Wangcheng county of Changsha, kept offering services to Taiwan investors during the prevailing SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) period, which has won high praise from its customers.
Although SARS prevented face-to-face communications, the committee members took the initiative to keep in close touch with their customers and potential investors via various means like telephones, fax machines and the Internet.
It is estimated that they sent more than 500 pieces of mail and e-mails to potential investors, giving detailed accounts of Changsha's investment environment.
Duing January to May, the park altogether attracted six Taiwanese-funded companies with a total investment of 260 million yuan (US$31.4 million).
Especially open to Taiwan-based companies, the park offers comprehensive services and one-stop shopping.
Chen Yong, director of the committee, said the park always holds to the principle of attracting investment with the best service, a good environment and sincerity.
The park has received no complaints over the past two years about its operations.
So far, there are more than 40 renowned Taiwanese-funded companies or Hunan-Taiwan joint ventures in the park, such as the Want Want Group, Hunan Ocean Wide Plastics Ltd, Hunan Fuhong Zinc Industrial Co Ltd and Hunan Morning Foodstuff Co Ltd.
Want Want launched its investment in Changsha in the early 1990s.
With US$45 million, the Hunan Want Want Food Co Ltd was established 10 years ago.
Soon after, the group set up another three subsidiaries in the province, with a total investment of US$120 million.
The Hunan Morning Foodstuff Co Ltd is the first company to focus on cereal breakfast production and sales in China.
Established in 2000, it is the flagship of the province's agricultural companies and a key high-tech company.
The food science research institute affiliated to the company is armed with advanced facilities for experiments and a complete set of testing and analysis equipment.
The institute has recruited a large number of highly qualified researchers.
It has also established a co-operative relationship with professors and experts in Hunan University, the South China University of Technology and Huazhong University of Science and Technology, making specialized and thorough research on nutritious cereal breakfast development.
The Morning breakfast developed by the company went public in February 2002.