Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/07/11
By: Huang Chiao-wen and Frances Huang

Taipei, July 11 (CNA) Taiwan’s service sector remained sluggish, as an index gauging the sector flashed a yellow-blue light for the third consecutive month in May, according to the Commerce Development Research Institute (CDRI, 商業發展研究院).

In a monthly report, the CDRI said that the index of service industry (ISI) stood at 99 points in May, and although the May figure was one point higher than April’s 98, it still remained in the yellow-blue range of 93-99.

The local services sector felt the pinch from weakening consumer confidence and the slow-season effect, reporting a weak ISI for the month.     [FULL  STORY]

WTF?Scientists said customer reports that their McDonald’s Happy Meals toys are using foul language may have been caused by a phenomenon known as pareidolia

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 12, 2015
By: AP, NEW YORK

McDonald’s Corp swears up and down that the little yellow Minions Happy Meal toy is

speaking only nonsense words and not something a little more adult.

Experts said the company might be right, and the curse words many hear might be tied to how our brains are primed to find words even when they are not really there.

The world’s largest hamburger chain on Friday said it does not plan to take the talking Happy Meal toy out of distribution, even though some customers said it sounds like it is cursing.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/07/10 19:02:37
By: Jackson Chang and Frances Huang

Taipei, July 10 (CNA) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chip maker, said Friday that it has achieved its sales target for the second quarter, although the quarter revenue fell more than 7 percent sequentially due to slow season effects.

In the April-June period, TSMC posted NT$205.44 billion (US$6.63 billion) in consolidated sales, down 7.47 percent from NT$222.03 billion recorded in the previous quarter.

The second quarter figure came within the profit expectation TSMC had submitted in mid-April stating that the chip would generate NT$204 billion to NT$207 billion in revenue for the three month period.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-07-10
By: CNA

Accompanied by some 60 senior executives from his enterprises, founder and chairman

of Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group Terry Gou is visiting India to evaluate business opportunities in the South Asian nation.

Gou arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday night, and was met by 60 senior executives from different enterprises in his conglomerate, including those dedicated to cloud computing, mobile devices, low-end mobile devices, the Internet of Things, big data, as well as smart living and smart working, who have traveled to India in advance.

Shortly after his arrival, the Taiwanese electronics tycoon held meetings on Wednesday night with executives of some 20 Indian innovative enterprises. The meetings lasted until early in the morning Thursday, according to one insider.     [FULL  STORY]

Gou was expected to continue holding talks on Thursday with possible Indian partners and to visit related enterprises based in the vicinities of the greater area of Delhi, the source said, adding that he is scheduled to visit other provinces of India beginning Friday.

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/07/09
By: Ho Horn-ru and Romulo Huang

New Delhi, July 9 (CNA) Accompanied by some 60 senior executives from his enterprises, founder and chairman of Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group (富士康) Terry Gou (郭台銘) is visiting India to evaluate business opportunities in the South Asian nation.

Gou arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday night, and was met by 60 senior executives from different enterprises in his conglomerate, including those dedicated to cloud computing, mobile devices, low-end mobile devices, the Internet of Things, big data, as well as smart living and smart working, who have traveled to India in advance.

Shortly after his arrival, the hard-working Taiwanese electronics tycoon held meetings on Wednesday night with executives of some 20 Indian innovative enterprises. The meetings lasted until early morning Thursday, according to an insider source who wished to remain anonymous.     [FULL  STORY]

Tough times ahead for Taiwan’s exports, especially after South Korea’s trade deal with China kicks in, analysts say.

Channel News Asia
Date: 08 Jul 2015
By: Victoria Jen, Channel NewsAsia’s Taiwan Correspondent

TAIPEI: Competition from China’s domestic suppliers is squeezing Taiwan’s exporters

and officials fear things could get worse once the Sino-Korea FTA kicks in.

“In the first year, as much as US$17 million of Taiwan’s exports to China are estimated to be replaced by those of South Korea. In the 20th year, it is US$6 billion,” said David Hsu, Bureau of Foreign Trade Deputy Director.

Over two decades, tariffs on 90 per cent of the goods traded between China and South Korea will eventually be eliminated.

Many of those goods are exactly what Taiwan supplies to China, so Taiwanese automobiles, electronics and machinery could be hit hard.

Huge protests last year saw Taiwan’s own trade deal with China stalled.     [FULL  STORY]