Business and Finance

Taiwan politicians dream big for expanding HSR, and a Disney castle

Politician uses Disney castle model to promote extending the Taiwan’s High Speed Rail to Pingtung

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/03/09
By: Renée Salmonsen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Executive Yuan representative, Su Chen-ching (蘇震清), used a

Politicians dream about a Taiwan Disneyland. (By Central News Agency)

model of a Disney castle today during a question and answer session to emphasize the need to extend the Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR) to Pingtung.

In a meeting of the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday, March 9, Democratic People’s Party (DPP) representative Chuang Jui-hsiang (莊瑞雄) said that since Pingtung is at the end of most travel itineraries, it should be included as a stop on the HSR route, reported CNA.

Chuang compared Pingtung to other cities, and with a stop added to the end of high speed rail line, it would raise the city’s profile as a popular destination, and perhaps a choice location for a theme park. Disney theme parks are also located in these cities: Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland.

Premier William Lai (賴清德) responded to the appeal by stating, “So representative Chuang is not only fighting for the southern extension of the HSR but also the addition of a Disney theme park?”    [FULL  STORY]

Germany’s energy ministry calls for more cooperation with Taiwan

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/03/09
By: Lin Yu-li and William Yen

Berlin, March 9 (CNA) A German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Image taken from Pixabay

(FMEAE) official has welcomed Taiwan’s decision on energy transition and called for strengthening cooperation in the field of energy between the two countries.

According to a German FMEAE press release issued Friday, Uwe Beckmeyer, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, said Germany welcomes Taiwan’s intention to increase the proportion of green power in its total energy makeup to 20 percent by 2025 and its goal of ending the use of nuclear energy by then.

Germany made the same decision a few years ago, Beckmeyer said, adding that his country’s technology can help Taiwan develop renewable energy.

Beckmeyer made the statement at the 17th Germany-Taiwan Joint Business Council Thursday in Taipei which was attended by representatives of businesses, including Fair Friend Group, Yulon Group, Delta Electronics, Siemens, Audi Volkswagen, Bosch and Trumpf.    [FULL  STORY]

Swancor seeking up to NT$17bn

MORE POWER: The money is to be used to install 20 extra turbines at Formosa I Wind Power Co in Miaoli County to produce an extra 120 megawatts of capacity

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 10, 2018
By: Kuo Chia-erh  /  Staff reporter

Materials manufacturer and wind farm developer Swancor Holding Co Ltd (上緯) yesterday said it plans to secure NT$16 billion to NT$17 billion (US$546.1 million to US$580.2 million) in project financing from banks in the second quarter of this year to fund ongoing offshore wind farm projects.

“The money will ensure sufficient capital for Formosa I Wind Power Co (海洋風電公司) to add extra capacity of 120 megawatts by installing 20 turbines next year,” Swancor chairman and president Robert Tsai (蔡朝陽) told a media briefing in Taipei.

Formosa I, which began commercial production last year, operates two offshore wind turbines with a combined capacity of 8 megawatts in Miaoli County.

Swancor is also working on another two offshore wind farms, Formosa II (海能風電) and Formosa III (海鼎風電), which are expected to become operational in 2020 and 2025 respectively, with planned capacity of nearly 500 megawatts and 2 gigawatts respectively.
[FULL  STORY]

Intelligent sports products take center stage at 2018 TAISPO

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-03-08

Sports products with integrated software and artificial intelligence are taking center stage

TAITRA Secretary General Walter Yeh (second left) said the products with advanced software are this year’s highlight, such as a new mini-gold kit with virtual reality (VR) functions. (CNA photo)

at the 2018 Taipei International Sporting Goods Show (TaiSPO).

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) is hosting the expo. TAITRA Secretary General Walter Yeh said the products with advanced software are this year’s highlight, such as a new mini-gold kit with virtual reality (VR) functions.

Yeh also said the latest fabric has integrated data sensors that allow sportswear to record and analyze athletes’ biometric data.
[FULL  STORY]

Taiwan ranks as world’s fourth-largest importer of Scotch Whisky

It is said that during the trade talks held last December, both Taiwan and the U.K. agreed to deepen bilateral trade and investment links 

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/03/08
By: Teng Pei-ju,Taiwan News, Staff Reporter

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – At a media luncheon held Wednesday noon, Catherine Nettleton,

representative of British Office Taipei (BOT), said Taiwan’s import of Scotch Whisky surpassed US$2 million in 2016, making it the world’s fourth-largest importer for the industry.

According to BOT, the U.K. is Taiwan’s third-largest trading partner in Europe, and bilateral trade has continued to grow over the years.

Nettleton said Taiwan was an important market for the U.K. and that both Taiwan and the U.K. had agreed to deepen bilateral trade and investment links in trade talks held last December in London.    [FULL  STORY]

U.S. dollar closes higher on Taipei forex market

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/03/08
By: Y.F. Low

Taipei, March 8 (CNA) The U.S. dollar rose against the Taiwan dollar Thursday, gaining NT$0.007 to close at NT$29.261.

Turnover totaled US$572 million during the trading session.

The greenback opened at the day’s high of NT$29.270 and moved to a low of NT$29.242 before rebounding     [SOURCE]

Yageo expects profit trend to continue

MAJOR CHANGES: The passive components industry is shifting with a range of new applications driving the industry to a boom that is more diverse than that seen in 2000

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 09, 2018
By: Lisa Wang  /  Staff reporter

Yageo Corp (國巨), the world’s biggest chip resistor supplier, yesterday posted a record-high net profit of NT$3.02 billion (US$103.2 million) for the last quarter, attributed to price hikes and growing demand for high-margin products for automotive and industrial devices.

Net profit was 2.46 times that of the NT$1.23 billion made the previous year and jumped 70.62 percent from NT$1.77 billion in the third quarter last year.

Yageo expects the uptrend to extend into this year and the next, buoyed by increasing demand for high-margin products used in electric cars, autonomous vehicles, industrial devices, premium smartphones and new applications, like virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

“The passive components industry is undergoing a major structural change,” Yageo chairman Peter Chen (陳泰銘) said at the company’s first-ever conference with investors.
[FULL  STORY]

Export dip no cause for concern, MOF says

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 08, 2018
By: Crystal Hsu  /  Staff reporter

The nation’s exports dipped 1.2 percent year-on-year to US$22.37 billion last month, as a slow technology season and the Lunar New Year holiday depressed outbound shipments, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said yesterday.

The decline is no cause for concern, as the global economy is on a course of expansion, allowing exports to stage a rebound this month and beyond, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) said.

“Fewer working days and a high base last year accounted for the temporary retreat,” Tsai said. “Stripping seasonal disruptions, outbound shipments are to gain 4.1 percent.”

For the first two months of the year, exports grew 7.3 percent to US$49.75 billion, a record for the period on the back of demand for electronics components, as well as basic metal, chemical and mineral products, she said.    [FULL  STORY]

Loquat is in season in Beinan, eastern Taiwan

Loquat is in season in Beinan Township (卑南鄉), Taitung County in eastern Taiwan, and Taitung Area Farmers’ Association will hold a loquat festival at Yuan Sen Applied Botanical Garden in Beinan on March 10 and 11 to promote the fruit

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/03/07
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—Loquat is in season in Beinan Township (卑南鄉), Taitung County

(photo from Pixabay)

in eastern Taiwan, and Taitung Area Farmers’ Association will hold a loquat festival at Yuan Sen Applied Botanical Garden (原生應用植物園) in Beinan on March 10 and 11 to promote the fruit.

Admission to the festival is free, and the organizer will prepare loquat ice, loquat flower tea, and loquat dishes with rice for visitors to taste, according to a Chinese-language Liberty Times report.

Beinan Township has the largest area of loquat farms in Taitung County, and this year the crop gives an abundant yield with the fruit being big, fragrant and sweet, according to the report.      [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan air service revenue rises steeply: CAA

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/03/07
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, March 7 (CNA) Taiwan’s revenue from air navigation service fees paid by foreign

Image taken from Pixabay

carriers increased last year by double-digit figures, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said Wednesday.

It said that in 2017, Taiwan collected some NT$2.05 billion (US$69 million) from airlines passing through its Flight Information Region (FIR), an annual increase of 13 percent.

Taiwan charges NT$10,000 for each flight crossing its FIR, the CAA said, adding that the growing number of budget carriers in Asia had contributed to the increased air traffic.

“Taiwan is in a great location that can reach any major Asia-Pacific city in 2.55 hours,” CAA head Lin Kuo-shian (林國顯) said.    [FULL  STORY]