Kang Tao

Kang Tao (simplified Chinese: 康陶) is a weapons manufacturer, initially Taiwanese, later on Chinese. Kang Tao was originally headquartered in Taiwan, which had become a manufacturing haven in the late 2000s, after the country declared independence with the help of Japan and Arasaka. Kang Tao became an industry giant among the Taiwanese companies. Unlike the rest, it kept its independence by not selling out to Japanese business interests. Kang Tao manufactured weapons that were distributed through Asia and made their way to the US.

In the 2040s, Kang Tao was restructured into a Chinese-based company, making its way to the top tier of weapons manufacturing at a tremendous pace thanks to bold choices, courageous strategy, and government backing. In 2077, the corporation was mainly known for its firearms, especially their newest generation of so-called "smart-guns", weapons that employed gyrojet technology to fire caseless guided ammunition, but were also becoming important players in the mercenary and security markets.

2020
In 2020, Kang Tao became one of few corporations that was not bought out by the Japanese corporations. Kang Tao remained independent in Taiwan as its small firearm manufacturing division was widely successful. Their pistols became very popular among the streets of Asia with many gangers opting for the reliable and inexpensive brand.

When the DataKrash occurred, the CEO of Kang Tao at the time committed suicide.

2040s
In the years after the Fourth Corporate War, Asia was ravaged by war and unrest which left many countries crippled and deeply scarred. China was no exception as it recovered from internal turmoil, but its years of rebuilding and recovery were also a time of great opportunity. The restructuring of Kang Tao began in 2046 with the appointment of a former army colonel, Shiming Xu, to manage what was considered an obsolete and collapsing corporation kept afloat by government subsidies. After four years under Colonel Xu's direction, the modernized and debt-free firm officially debuted on the market in 2050 with their A-22B Chao "smart" pistol. Thanks to the company's alleged government connections, the corporation invested heavily in modern research facilities, rapidly expanding the "smart weapons" market. Throughout the next 20 years, through new research facilities funded by the government, Kang Tao overcame its old rivals, coming out as a top-tier weapon manufacturer on par with Tsunami Arms and Arasaka.

Since 2072, Kang Tao had tripled its stock value, becoming a leading weapon exporter in Asia. The past fifty years of war and unrest left many Asian countries crippled and deeply scarred.

2077
In 2077, an explosion at a company refinery in Hangzhou left over 50,000 dead. Although official accounts cleared the corporation of negligence, many still blamed them for the explosion. That same year, Kang Tao expressed interest in the Pacifica district of Night City. The city council responded explaining that they would sell the district for cheap, if Kang Tao agreed to clear out the area of all crime. No official deals had been made.

Kang Tao was also considered the fourth biggest and best corporation to work for in Night City. It provides employees with a Trauma Team Gold insurance package. At the same time, Kang Tao requires employees to sign a 50-year loyalty pledge.

Public Relations
Public relations for Kang Tao have broadly remained the same since its restructuring in the 2050s. Kang Tao's relations with the Chinese government have kept it out of trouble in the past, and most nations generally recognized it as a Megacorporation worth doing business with. However, its relations with other corporations are strained, as Kang Tao has made various efforts to steal from competitors.

Controversies
Kang Tao has had the reputation for being negligent in its various endeavors. The corporation has been involved with the death of thousands of citizens and employees due to its operations, and also has a reputation for stealing much research from other corporations in its field. While Kang Tao is aggressive, it manages to keep many of its controversial operations secret.

Trivia

 * The Kang Tao company slogan 智能电子解决方案 translates to "Intelligent Electronic Solutions" in Mandarin.
 * Kang Tao's logo in Cyberpunk 2077 closely resembles that of the real world Chinese conglomerate Tencent.
 * In some versions of the hokkien language, a dialect of mandarin, Kang Tao (工头) is a slang meaning "job opening".