The Best Practice

Prepared by Peter Lichang Kuo

The Scripture said that “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” (Pr 3:27) We've been carefully following the Call from the Most High, to create a “best practice” for the needy, and the things are done, but unexpectedly under corrupt attacks. Recently at a multilateral conference, Australian friend asked that “What expectations are you for APEC this year?” I replied: "Strengthen the law enforcement of 'Anti-Corruption'!" After all, no matter how good the innovative industry is, how much universal concern is, it still cannot withstand the ravage of corruption.

The best practice is a new tech-economic system that has instrumental tools to be able to respond to the structural social problems—“Creating New Industry for New Jobs” and provide “decent jobs” to disadvantaged groups. It is a ministry of the Calling that only emphasized on social contribution, so it is called "social responsibility investment".

● About the Origin of Social Responsibility Investment

After receiving the enlightenment from heaven since 1962, I suddenly woke up from being an ignorant kid and became very clear about the way forward. Through hard self-training for three years, I was able to build Taiwan's Precision Industry with a pair of my small black hands, and meanwhile I earned the nickname "Dr. Blacksmith" from a NYSE listed company (AVNET Inc.). In 1974, when I built "Cheng Kuang Precision Industrial Co., Ltd." by the Taiping Bridge of Salt River, Mr. Chiang Ching-Kuo made a surprise visit and gave me with the words "Utilize Your Talents to Benefit the People" (利用厚生) to encourage me to make good use of my expertise to contribute to the country and society. Afterwards, "Social Responsibility Investment" (SRI)—investment that prioritized the ability to respond to resolve those social problems and not for profit—was launched consequently by myself.

Fig 1: Utilizing the Earnings from Precision Industry for SRI

The following year, I had a chance to meet Mrs. Janet Hayes the mayor of San Jose, Silicon Valley, and then had a conversation with the engineers from IBM about the future of the information technology industry. On May 20, 1984, I spent a day rescuing the dying Barbie Doll, that made me fully aware of the seriousness of "self-destruction". Not long after, my wife Linda Din actually started a business on the pretext of "Solving Unemployment". However, she soon discovered that simply starting a business could not create many job opportunities, so she invented an "Innovative Industry" in the hope of this new tech-economic system was able to resolve the structural unemployment problem, and helping those disadvantaged in society. And I accumulated the global resources over the years have become to make her invention come true. At a recent meeting in New York, experts from various countries estimated that her invention has helped approximately 1.5 billion people who could "make world money at home" during the epidemic – many can still make a living during the pandemic quarantine.

Fig 2: The Innovative Industry Invented by Linda Din (Taipei 1986)

The innovative industry consist of a long list of new technologies and new products – such as "power chip/ contactless technology/ TranSmart chip card and its reading devices (TRD, toller)/ RF transmitter/ VAM & eStore/ TSCM/ ICT/ control center/ interphone/ transmission technology/ cashless system/ ATM/ entrance access device/ ETC/ micro business/ 3C/ EC/ TES---"and etc., I brought it to the earth from nothing, and proclaimed them to the worldwide, and eventually became a necessities for everyone.

After investing countless our self-funds and making much efforts for more than ten years, we gained the e-commerce bill at APEC 1998, the American representative sitting on the right side said that "Congratulations! You have APEC's intellectual property rights (IPRs)." Then in 1999, we won the resolution to “strongly urge all economies to promote e-commerce”. We initiated the "ICT" (Information and Communication Technology) required for innovative industry at APEC 2000 in Brunei; the "ICT" which was included in the Leaders' Declaration with "IPR" at the same time at APEC 2001 in Shanghai.

Fig 3: The Place to Win the E-Commerce Bill (APEC 1998)

This was originally a major opportunity for Taiwan to "dominate the global mainstream technological society." Unfortunately, since May 20, 2000, various attacks have continued, and the inventor was finally shot down by indiscriminate arrows and almost died. In 2006, the Australian government invited us to report on the "Progress of the Best Practice" at the APEC CEO Summit in Hanoi. The political and economic leaders of various economies listened to my brief description of our experiences on the island at the Sofitel Hotel, and they unanimously said: "bizarre!" At the same time, they expressed that “You’re persecuted by your government!” They defined those attackers as "the entities of corruption", especially friends from Peru mentioned that a "Lima Anti-Corruption Declaration" will be established, and hoped that entrepreneurial women and their innovative industries will no longer be persecuted.

I told the king of Moab— a leader of corrupt group, face to face at the Melia Hotel in Hanoi. He laughed twice and said, "Ha, Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, so it (anti-corruption) has nothing to do with us-----" He thought that the anti-corruption consensus was just a matter of the United Nations. Therefore, the power of corruption attacks has not decreased but increased. Even if you left nothing behind, you will still be hunted everywhere. We only carried out social responsibility investment (SRI) in order to achieve the Calling of "everyone has a job and every family has bread ". Of course, we must invent an instrumental tool – innovative industry. However, just because it involved huge business opportunities and profit, corrupt groups have been actually in addition to "stealing and robbing", they also applied public sector to wreak havoc without restraint; it is shown that politics overrides technology and even more over mercy.

● About the Best Practice

Because the Australian government had discovered the problem of imbalanced regional economic development, and looking for the best practices in the hope of achieving common prosperity. On August 4, 2003, we were invited to proclaim the "Global Channel-TES" at the stage of APEC in Chiang Mai to address the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Our proposal can create a derivative value chain and drive a large number of new job opportunities. It stood out from 21 economies and won the best practice. The content is excerpted as follows:

Fig 4: Proposal Place to Win the Best Practice (APEC 2003)

Foreword:

"After the Asia-Pacific economy was severely impacted by SARS in 2003, this is an extremely important lesion. It has special significance not only for small and medium-sized enterprise trade, but also for governments and APEC. How to establish a new economic model of safety and efficiency in order to stimulate economic prosperity? Here we would like to introduce a new ‘Global Channel’..."

The new "Global Channel - The eStore System (TES)" is a tech-economic system – hence it's abbreviated as "TES". This system can promote:

1. Create new business channels and enhance trade opportunities.

2. Invention - making intellectual property rights (IPR) a new financial commodity.

3. Become a feasible business model for e-commerce, activating the trade between business and business, and among business and customer (individual) (B to B / B to C).

4. Technologicalization of traditional industries and achieve intellectualization of technological industries.

5. Cultivate 500,000 micro businesses.

6. Create employment opportunities for women – One eStore One Business One Job.

7. Safe and effective new channels (cashless transactions and automatic data transmission).

8. Hygiene and environmental protection (applying contactless technology).

"Global Channel-TES" uses radio frequency (RF) converted "contactless chip card" as a transaction tool. Transaction information and data can be automatically transmitted to the control center through telephone lines for processing, and suppliers will be automatically notified to replenish goods, forming a closed-loop system.

With just a small bus stop, an "electronic store” (eStore) can be installed, allowing people waiting for the bus to purchase and charge. The TranSmart chip card can also be used as a ticket, promoting free movement of new products. The eStore can sell a various goods, such as food, drinks, cameras, batteries, watches, accessories, etc. After consumption, the product and invoice can be received immediately, and the transaction information and data can be transmitted at real time through the POS , report to the enterprise's control center, to manage the flows of monetary and goods.

Fig 5: Application Example of “eStore”

To install this kind of eStore in the United States (A), the United Kingdom (B), China (C), and other regions of the world. No matter the number is 300 stores or 3 million stores, the transaction information and data will be automatically transmitted back to the control center. After the data is processed, the logistics is automatically notified to restock the goods, in addition to simultaneously controlled the flows of money, goods, logistics and information. The keynote speaker Linda Din said on the stage: "One eStore One Business One Job!" There were warm applauses. The "eStore" thus was commended by representatives of the economies as a small cell site to solve unemployment; due to it has the function of charging, so it's called a small station of "Energy Storage"— and this is one of the megatrends in the future tech-economy.

Fig 6: The Operation Diagram of Multi-functional eStores

The most important thing is that the operation of this "Global Channel-TES" is invested by a private social enterprise. It is like a big engine that drives a vitality project for the regional economy; we recommend that APEC establish an Action Administration Committee to formulate channel specifications, protocols and standards. To found a Regional Operation Center and require the governing authorities of each economy to provide permission and barrier elimination. A Strategy Team was established, consisting of six major work centers.

1. Intellectual Property Right and Law Center: IPR authorization, royalty collection and processing of related contracts.

2. Financial Center: Stock listing (IPO), issuing the TranSmart Chip Card, and investment banking.

3. Human Resource Center: Cultivate micro-enterprises and 180,000-500,000 women.

4. ICT Center: Control center, clearing center and telecommunications center.

5. Manufacturing Center: Production of TES related software and hardware.

6. Supply Chain Center: Research and development, new products and logistics.

Conclusion: The eStore System (TES) is a perfect action plan to present APEC's economic issues and results to the world. And, "The Progressive World because of Invention".

When we answered questions on two podiums in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, we mentioned that its output of economic value will reach US$10 trillion. After the meeting, representatives from the economies estimated that this best example -- "Global Channel-TES" would become the best entrepreneurial guide for 240 million people, and was included in the "Ministerial Meeting Joint Statement". Since then, the economies have worked hard to build relevant infrastructures to welcome innovative industries in the new century, hoping to implement a multilateral trade system and achieve the common prosperity. (Kuo, 2022:145-161)

Social entrepreneurs contributed the best practice at APEC, but the king of Moab disdainfully said that “APEC is just a lively party.” So that the originator was furiously attacked by the island's corruption until collapsed and became ill badly. Therefore, at the APEC CEO Summit 2006 in Hanoi, representatives from the economies shook their heads and sighed, and an anti-corruption trend arose.

● Regarding Anti-Corruption Operations

Sure enough, "Lima Anti-Corruption Declaration" clearly stated "Combating Corruption in the Region" at APEC CEO Summit 2008. Leaders believed that corruption in both the public and private sectors is a serious threat to social and economic development in the region; and they recognized that when criminal entities collude with corrupt public and private sector officials, it results in a culture of impunity and financial exploitation of the legitimate economy. Therefore, the fight against corruption is urgent. Leaders were committed to the capacity building of APEC members through ICT, ensuring that gender considerations are taken into account when developing trade and economic policies, and that “women” in the region can better participate in and benefit from regional and global trade.

Leaders also realized that these anti-corruption activities through APEC are consistent with the “UN Convention Against Corruption” (UNCAC), which they encouraged economies to ratify and implement, where applicable. Nevertheless, corruption is still rampant around the island, just exactly as the king of Moab said: “The UN has nothing to do with us.”

On May 20, 2008, we were expecting that the change of ruling party would bring about clear politics; unexpectedly, the corruption group had intensified their efforts, using finance and the judiciary as lethal weapons to forcefully destroy the nest. And meanwhile, through preachers to link the Control Yuan to pretend to investigate our "persecuted case". Then Wang Jianxuan, the Supervisory Dean classified the investigation results as "Confidential" document until August 16, 2017; in short, inventor was unable to make a living from her inventions, and coupled with nest-destruction attacks, it eventually could not be relies on her profession to operate for living in her own country. The corrupt group has clearly violated Article 15 of the Constitution: "The people's rights to subsistence, work and property shall be protected." Actually, the corrupt group has violated the constitution. That entrepreneurial woman who was full of compassion and idealism fell down again, and when she resurrected to her sense, she was living in panic and fear all day long.

During this period, due to the popularity of smart mobile communicators, nascent entrepreneurs have integrated and applied our inventions, and the world has completely moved in the direction we have shaped. The APEC CEO Summit 2016 reiterated the importance of the "Lima Anti-Corruption Declaration". Leaders encouraged all economies to implement critical actions on anti-corruption actions and establish the "Network of Anti-Corruption Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies" (ACT-NET), effectively engage all relevant stakeholders to participate the actions, and further to protect the vulnerable groups as follows:

1. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs): Leaders recognized that MSMEs are an essential component for economies to achieve quality growth and prosperity. As sources of innovation and employment, MSMEs are also well placed to promote entrepreneurship, to benefit from structural reform and to advance sustainability in our economies, maximizing the impact of policies, strategies and best practices. Therefore, strengthening of MSMEs will imply concrete progress in increasing their innovation capacities and competitiveness, including intellectual property rights (IPRs) commercialization, work towards guaranteeing access to financial means and capacity building, enhancing their participation in the internet and digital economy and through electronic commerce, reducing the technological gap, strengthening ethical business practices to support MSMEs’ growth and cross border trade, progressively inducing a shift into a more sustainable, eco-friendly and green production, and supporting their internationalization including through the means of ICT.

2. Women: Leaders recognized that women’s vital contribution to economic and social development, and they committed to strengthen the efforts to support the mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment across APEC’s work, to ensure that women enjoy equal access to quality education and economic resources. They welcomed efforts to support women’s entrepreneurship, grow women-led SMEs, enhance women’s digital literacy, promote women's career development, strengthen women and girls' access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers and address health-related barriers to women’s participation in the digital economy.

3. Disabilities: Leaders believed that ICT plays a vital role in human development for capacity building; in particular, through the application of e-commerce and ICT, people with disabilities can be provided with more "decent works" to enhance their capabilities for better lives. So exploring how economies can better raise awareness of disability, implement inclusive policies, empower people with disabilities, and promote equal access to education and employment opportunities, should be carried out urgently.

These are the target groups that the innovative industry takes care of, and it is expected that all population groups will have full and “productive employment opportunities”. Leaders also recognized that the economic empowerment of women, youth and disabilities should be a priority in APEC’s agenda to promote high-quality growth and human development. They pledged to strengthen the efforts to ensure the quality of working life for all, especially vulnerable groups in society, by providing access to quality inclusive education and specific training, promoting entrepreneurship, improving social protection and strengthening regional cooperation.

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about one in six people in the world today has a physical or mental disability – about 1.3 billion people. The spending power of people with disabilities and their families is expected to reach US $13 trillion per year, a figure that can make a valuable contribution to the economy when all aspects of society remove the barriers of economic, social and politics to people with disabilities. Therefore, we initiate "One eStore One Business One Job" to provide a instrumental solution that integrates reality and virtual, which can help vulnerable groups make the world's money at home and make full use of their talents. Its architecture diagram is as follows:

Fig 7: Architecture Diagram of TES for Virtual and Real Integration

At the APEC meeting in Peru in May, it was mentioned that of the 3.3 billion working population in the world, 2 billion people are informally employed; this is caused by the failure of the innovative industry to function on the right track, and corruption groups should be held accountable. However, the "Lima Anti-Corruption Declaration" is really connected with the "UNCAC". It is no longer a consensus of lively party, but a legally enforceable regulation. The island authorities were finally required to submit an "Anti-corruption Progress Report", must pay attention to public interests, and take care of those in need; but they failed to show any response to the persecution of the creators of the best practice for more than two decades.

May 20 this year marks a new beginning. We hope that with Taiwan’s limited resources, those rulers can enlarge the scale of vision; just one “ICT Control Center” of the best practice can provide the entire national budget. After all, if there had been no corruption attacks in the past two decades, Taiwan would have been able to "dominate the global mainstream technological society" by its original progress. And vulnerable groups around the world will receive the care they deserve. Unfortunately, a major opportunity was manipulated by the entities of corruption to be out of control.

● Summary

Firm faith enables us to weather stormy waves. I remember what Mr. Chiang Ching-Kuo said to me: "The most violent storms cannot destroy a person with faith." I also believe the Scripture said that "The righteous is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away." (Psalm 1:3-4) Today, the corrupt leader, the King of Moab, has been repaid for the evil he has done, but there are still his jackals existed. However, new products and industries are continuously developing in the new era. Hoping that this year (2024) will be the "first year of anti-corruption" on the island. All evil deeds will be eliminated so that those who receive the Call from the Most High can successfully complete their mission goals.

Peter Lichang Kuo, the author created Taiwan's Precision Industry in his early years. He was a representative of the APEC CEO Summit and an expert in the third sector. He advocated "anti-corruption (AC)/cashless/e-commerce (E-Com)/ICT/IPR/IIA-TES / Micro-Business (MB)…and etc." to win the international bills and regulations.