Want Want Holdings Limited (Want Want; ) is a food manufacturer and media corporation from Taiwan. It is one of the largest rice cake and flavored drink manufacturers in Taiwan. It engages in the manufacturing and trading of snack foods and beverages, divided into four businesses: rice crackers, dairy products, beverages, snack foods (candies, jellies, popsicles, nuts, and ball cakes), and other products. It operates over 100 manufacturing plants in mainland China and 2 in Taiwan, and employs over 60,000 people.

History

In 1962, Want Want began operations in the name of I Lan Foods Industrial Company Limited in Yilan County, Taiwan, which manufactured canned agricultural products. It was founded by Tsai Eng-meng's father, Jonathan Shuai Qiang Ng. Tsai Eng-meng took over his father's food business at the age of 19 and came up with a new product—crackers made from rice flour. 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. 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. 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. 1996, it was listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange under the name Want Want Holdings Pte Ltd. 2007, Want Want Holdings Pte Ltd was delisted from the Singapore Stock Exchange. In 2008, its subsidiary, Want Want China Holdings Limited, was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. 2008, Want Want China Holdings Ltd. was listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Limited. HKEX STOCK CODE 0151. 2011, Want-Want China Holdings Ltd. was ranked one of the top choice of stocks to buy on the Hang Seng index. 2009, Want Want purchased China Times, as well as China Television (CTV) and CtiTV in 2009. Want Want has been described as part of Taiwan's conservative camp with the Kuomintang.

Controversy

Want Want has faced repeated accusations of close links to the Chinese Communist Party and has received subsidies from the Chinese government. The Financial Times reported that these ties include coordination with the Chinese government's Taiwan Affairs Office. Want Want subsequently sued the Financial Times correspondent for libel, which Reporters Without Borders called an "abusive" lawsuit. In November 2019, Wang Liqiang, a self-proclaimed Chinese spy who defected to Australia, claimed that the Want Want China Times Group's media brands China Television and Chung T'ien Television had received funding from a company affiliated with the People's Liberation Army in return for airing stories unfavorable of the Taiwanese government and sought to influence the upcoming 2020 election. The Want Want China Times Group denied these allegations.