Want Want

I Lan Foods headquarters

In 1962, Want Want began operations in the name of I Lan Foods Industrial Company Limited (宜蘭食品工業股份有限公司) in Yilan County, Taiwan, which manufactured canned agricultural products. It was founded by Tsai Eng-meng's father, Jonathan Shuai Qiang Ng.

In 1983, it collaborated with Iwatsuka Confectionery Company Limited, one of the top three Japanese rice cracker makers, to develop a rice cracker market in Taiwan. In return, Iwatsuka obtained 5% of the common stock of the company.[4] In 2009, Iwatsuka's share in Want Want was valued at about US$350M , nearly three times as much as Iwatsuka's own market value of US$125M .[5]

In 1987, it became the first Taiwanese operator to apply for the registration of the "Want Want" trademark in China. In 1992, it started its business in Mainland China. In 1994, it commenced its first production plant in Changsha, Hunan. In 1996, it was listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange under the name Want Want Holdings Pte Ltd.

In 2007, Want Want Holdings Pte Ltd was delisted from the Singapore Stock Exchange.[6] In 2008, its subsidiary, Want Want China Holdings Limited, was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.[7][8]

Want Want has faced repeated accusations of close links to the Chinese Communist Party[9] and has received subsidies from the Chinese government.[10] The Financial Times reported that these ties include coordination with the Chinese government's Taiwan Affairs Office.[11]

In November 2019, Wang Liqiang, a self-proclaimed Chinese spy who defected to Australia, claimed that the Want Want China Times Group news channels China Television and Chung T'ien Television had received Chinese funding in return for airing stories unfavorable of the Taiwanese government and sought to influence the upcoming 2020 election.[12] The Want Want China Times Group denied these allegations.[13]

• List of companies of Taiwan
• Want Want China
• I-Mei Foods

• Want Want Holdings Limited