Elaine Chao, Snake McConnell's second and current wife's father started the company after fleeing to Taiwan after WW2 with Chiang Kai-shek in 1949.Elaine's father has connections in mainland China and used them to build and support his shipping company. Too much information to type here but research on your part will give you more insight. James S. C. Chao, who began his career as a merchant mariner and in 1964 founded a shipping company in New York City. The company, Foremost Maritime Corporation is Elaine's father. Here are some sites for more information: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/06/elaine-chao-china-trip-foremost https://bipartisanreport.com/2020/07/06/elaine-chaos-family-business-caught-funneling-taxpayer-cash/