Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/27
By: Chen Cheng-wei and Frances Huang

Taipei, May 27 (CNA) Taiwan’s consumer confidence index (CCI) fell in May amid cautious sentiment toward the local economic climate, a survey released by National Central University showed Wednesday.

The survey indicated that the CCI for May fell 1.29 points from a month earlier to 91.64. The April figure was the highest ever recorded since the university’ Research Center for Taiwan Economic Development started the survey in January 2004.

The drop in consumer confidence came after the government on May 22 downgraded its forecast for Taiwan’s 2015 economic growth by 0.5 percentage points to 3.28 percent, citing weaker global demand and domestic consumption.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: 2015-05-27
By: CNA

Morris Chang, chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world’s

largest contract chip maker, said Tuesday that he and former US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke share the view that the American Dream still exists, but is more difficult to attain than in the past.

Chang, who attended a forum sponsored by local magazine Business Weekly in Taipei, said he asked Bernanke if the American Dream still exists.

The American dream means that if one works hard, he or she can climb the ladder of success, Chang said.

Chang added that when he arrived in the United States, his parents were very ppor, but he managed to climb to be among the top 10% of society by the age of 40.

He realized his own dream, but nowadays a lot of American immigrants cannot realize their dreams, he said.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/26
By: Pan Chih-yi and Lilian Wu

Taipei, May 26 (CNA) Perng Fai-nan (彭淮南), Taiwan’s central bank governor,

exchanged views Tuesday on quantitative easing (QE) policies and secular stagnation with Ben Bernanke, former U.S. Fed chairman, who arrived the previous day to attend a forum in Taipei.

Perng noted that financial stability is the goal of the Central Bank of the Republic of China (CBC), and that it has since 2010 adopted targeted prudential measures, coupled with tax policies by the Ministry of Finance, to stabilize the housing market.

Perng also supplied Benanke with an article titled “Why Great Power Demands Great Responsibility” that he had published in the London-based monthly magazine “The Banker” in January 2014 .     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-05-26
By: Staff Reporter

The heads of three of the world’s most successful tech and electronics giants will be

kicking off this year’s Big Data Expo in southwestern China’s Guizhou province on Tuesday.

Hon Hai chair Terry Gou, Alibaba founder Jack Ma and Tencent boss Ma Huateng will each be speaking at the opening of the Guiyang International Big Data Expo 2015 & Global Big Data Era Guiyang Summit at the Guiyang International Conference and Exhibition Center.

The stated aim of the Big Data Expo is to create an international platform for renowned personages, enterprises and institutions in the big data arena to conduct exchanges. This year’s theme is “Revolution, Opportunity and Challenge in the Big Data Era.”

This year’s expo has been touted as more bigger and more globalized, a reflection of the rise of big data, which refers to the use of predictive analytics or other advanced methods to extract value from a large amount of information.

May 25, 2015
By: David Scutt
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The former US Federal Reserve chairman is speaking on ‘the future of the global

economy’ at the World Business Forum on Thursday.

Dr Bernanke, now an active blogger and economic advisor to the private sector, served as the Fed’s top banker from 2006 to 2014.

While he no longer presides over Fed decision making, with global economic growth continuing to disappoint, his speech will be closely analysed nonetheless.     [FULL  STORY]

The Straits Times
Date: May 25 2015
By: Samantha Goh

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, The Sherwood Taipei – located in the heart of Taipei’s Min Sheng neighbourhood and five minutes from SongShan airport – is offering an Anniversary Room Package.

It consists of an extra night free voucher that can be used for the same stay or a future visit, daily breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi and complimentary access to the indoor pool, sauna and fitness centre. Prices start at US$250 (S$334) a night for a Junior Suite.

Focu Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/25
By: Milly Lin and Ted Chen

Taipei, May 25 (CNA) The Ministry of Economic Affairs announced Monday that Taiwan’s industrial production index in April reached 106.37, down 4.8 percent from the previous month, but representing a rise of 1.06 percent from the previous year.

During the same period, the manufacturing sub-index declined by 5.01 percent month-on-month, but improved by 1.15 percent year-on-year.

In the first four months of the year, overall industrial output rose by 4.54 percent year-on-year while the manufacturing sub-index rose by 5.11 percent.     [FULL  STORY]

FUELING DEVELOPMENTS:The New Taiwan dollar’s appreciation against the US greenback helped diminish some crude import costs, refiner CPC Corp, Taiwan, said

Taipei Times
Date: May 25, 2015
By: Lisa Wang  /  Staff reporter

State-run oil refiner CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 中油), yesterday announced that it would lower gasoline and diesel prices by NT$0.2 per liter as global crude oil prices fell on concern that the US could resume shale rig operations as prices rebounded, adding pressure to the global crude supply.

That marks the second week of price cuts made by CPC in line with global crude price movements.

“There is concern about an oversupply in crude oil, as shale rig operators may restart drilling after crude prices bounced back,” CPC said in a statement posted on its Web site.

Global crude oil prices slid by 1.46 percent, or US$0.94, to US$63.54 per barrel last week, compared with US$64.48 in the prior week, according to CPC’s pricing information.     [FULL  STORY]