Taiwan businessman dies after attack by China worker in Vietnam

Mickey Chen Ming-hsiung (陳敏雄), chairman and chief executive of Kingmaker Footwear Holdings (01170.HK), died on Thursday after a knife attack by a Chinese worker in Vietnam.

The Taiwanese businessman was stabbed by a man named Li Neo You, who hails from mainland China, on Tuesday at a warehouse in Thuan An in Vietnam's Binh Duong province, Taiwan's Ettoday.net reported.

According to the report, the Chinese worker flew into a rage after he was pulled up by Chen over some missing goods at the warehouse.

Upset at the tongue-lashing, Li is said to have grabbed a knife from a kitchen and stabbed Chen as well a fellow worker from Taiwan.

Li was then arrested, while Chen was sent to a hospital.

On Thursday, the businessman was transferred to a medical facility in Taiwan’s Kaoshiung city, where he breathed his last, according to the report.

Kingmaker Footwear said in a filing to the Hong Kong bourse Friday that Chen passed away on April 14. It did not go into the details of the incident.

The company said it has appointed Daniel Chan Ho-man, a non-executive director, as acting chairman and Phillip Brian Kimmel, an executive director, as acting chief executive.

Kingmaker said Chen's death "should not have immediate adverse effect on the group in the short term" but the long-term impact "would have to be assessed".

Chen established Kingmaker Footwear in Changhua, Taiwan in 1981, according to the company's website.

In 1988, the company opened its first factory in China -- in Zhuhai in Guangdong province -- and also opened its first office in Hong Kong. It listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 1994.

Kingmaker is a major manufacturer for several brands including Asics, CAT, Clarks, Fiona’s Prince, GH Bass, K1X, New Balance, Robeez, Skechers, and Striderite.

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