The rate of 40: 1 had been in effect almost uninterruptedly since 1956, despite the ROC's growing economic power. By May of last year the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economic Affairs was saying the value of the NT dollar should rise "appropriately."
新台幣對美元的匯率自民國四十五年「外匯匯率改革方案」實施後，就固定在四十比一，在去年以前，只有小幅波動，一九八○年曾漲到三十六比一，一九八五年又跌回四十元上下。「匯率應反映一國的經濟力」，環球經濟社社長林建山認為，過去新台幣幣值並沒有隨著我國經濟發展調整。