Rising gov't debts a concern: Fitch Ratings

The China Post - Taiwan's overall credit-worthiness remains solid, yet increasing government debts have become a concern, said James McCormack, head of Asia sovereigns of Fitch Ratings, yesterday. Full Story

Bureau suggests trucks use energy-saving flaps

The China Post - The Bureau of Energy has proposed the installation of a wind-guiding flap board on top of the hood of heavy-duty trucks in order to help save energy consumption and cost. Full Story

India tops Forbes list of Asian companies

The China Post - India has the largest number of profitable companies with revenues or market capitalization above US$5.0 billion in the Asia-Pacific region, Forbes business magazine said Thursday. Full Story

Shares close 1.16% higher on bargain hunting

The China Post - Taiwan share prices closed 1.16 percent higher Thursday as investors shrugged off the impact of falls on Wall Street overnight and were drawn back into the market by attractive valuations, dealers said. Full Story

TAIEX retakes 9,000 in rally

The China Post - Taiwan stocks rose yesterday, with the TAIEX retaking the 9,000 level on a rally in electronic shares such as Acer Inc. and High Tech Computer Corp. Full Story

Games Convention Asia in Singapore a hotbed for gamers, developers

The China Post - Ten Asia-Pacific countries signed an agreement Thursday to turn the region into a hotbed for the electronic gaming sector while developers showed off their next-generation products. Full Story

Member of Taiwan central bank board opposes rate rise

The China Post - A board member from Taiwan's central bank is opposed to raising interest rates and propping up the Taiwan dollar as it undermines the island's competitiveness, the United Daily News said Thursday. Full Story

CPC to boost spending by 45 percent

The China Post - CPC Corp. plans to increase spending by 45 percent next year as Taiwan's state-owned oil refiner expands its ability to process less expensive varieties of crude and produce higher-earning fuels with lower sulfur content. Full Story

Mandarin Airlines to add two international routes

The China Post - Mandarin Airlines, a subsidiary of the Taiwan-based China Airlines, will operate two more international charter routes -- Kaohsiung-Okinawa and Kaohsiung-Cebu -- from Sept. 14 and Sept 16, respectively, a spokesman for the carrier said yesterday. Full Story

Chi Mei Opto August sales rise 69% to NT$29.5 billion

The China Post - Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp., Taiwan's second-largest liquid-crystal display maker, posted an 69 percent increase in August sales from a year earlier. Full Story

Qisda sales in August fall 19% to NT$13 billion

The China Post - Qisda Corp., formerly known as BenQ Corp., posted a 19 percent decline in August sales from a year earlier. Full Story

Inspections on China goods to be stepped up

The China Post - In a bid to safeguard the health of nationals, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is moving to enhance inspections on four selected categories of products imported from mainland China, namely toothpaste, beddings, toys and garments, according to sources close to the ministry. Full Story

Consumer price index rises in August on food

The China Post - Taiwan's consumer price index (CPI) rose in August due largely to an increase in food prices, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) reported yesterday. Full Story

Taiwan raises standards for holding firms, requiring more assets, capital

The China Post - Taiwan has set higher standards for forming a financial holding firm, requiring at least twice the assets and working capital from current levels in a bid to help speed up consolidation in the banking industry. Full Story

ROC to hold seminars to woo investors

The China Post - The Taiwan Stock Exchange Corp. will organize investment seminars in New York City and London later this week to woo both American and European investors, financial officials said yesterday. Full Story

The Council for Economic Planning and Development mulls corporate income tax cut

The China Post - The Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) Tuesday unveiled a plan to significantly reduce the corporate income tax rate in order to improve the country's business environment. Full Story

Yahoo Taiwan upgrades search engine

The China Post - Yahoo Taiwan announced yesterday that it is upgrading its sponsored search engine -- also called a paid search engine -- based on keywords submitted by users during their Internet search. Full Story

HTC to launch new PDAs, phones with Qualcomm chips

The China Post - Taiwan smartphone maker High Tech Computer (HTC) said yesterday it will launch 10 new PDAs and smartphones using chips from U.S.-based Qualcomm Inc by the end of the year. Full Story

Grand Formosa Regent to train future leaders

The China Post - Grand Formosa Regent will begin a Management Apprenticeship Program in which the hotel will train qualified candidates for leadership positions over a period of one year. Full Story

Carlyle asks 2nd fund to co-invest

The China Post - Carlyle Group has invited a second private equity fund to jointly invest NT$21.5 billion in Taiwan's Ta Chong Bank, the bank said yesterday, as local media reported the fund was part of JPMorgan's Corsair private equity group. Full Story

Innolux may sell US$1.5 bil. of stock to fund LCD plant

The China Post - Innolux Display Corp., the world's second-largest maker of flat-screen computer monitors, plans to sell as much as US$1.5 billion of stock overseas to finance the construction of a liquid-crystal-display factory in Taiwan. Full Story

Asustek shares advance 2.6% on analyst reports

The China Post - Asustek Computer Inc., the world's largest maker of boards that connect computer parts, rose to its highest level in more than five years on Taiwan's exchange after Citigroup Inc. and Morgan Stanley raised the stock's target price. Full Story

Gateway to sell corporate unit to MPC for US$90 million

The China Post - Gateway Inc., the computer maker that will be acquired by Taiwan's Acer Inc., agreed to sell its corporate business unit to MPC Corp. for about US$90 million. Full Story

Taipower axes plan to sell NT$2 billion in 5-year bonds

The China Post - Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) has dropped a plan to sell NT$2 billion 5-year bonds in a private placement because price bids were unsatisfactory, a senior company official said. Full Story

China Steel says August sales rose 9.7% to NT$17.6 billion

The China Post - China Steel Corp., Taiwan's largest steelmaker, said August sales rose 9.7 percent from a year earlier. Full Story

Taiwan end-August foreign exchange reserves drop

The China Post - Taiwan's foreign exchange reserves dropped to US$261.37 billion at the end of August from US$266.29 billion registered last month, the central bank said yesterday. Full Story

Share prices flat after profit-taking

The China Post - Taiwan share prices closed with little change Wednesday, with early gains made on Wall Street's rise and hopes of a United States interest rate cut giving way to profit-taking, dealers said. Full Story

Container volume at Kaohsiung Port hits high

The China Post - The volume of containers handled at the Kaohsiung Port in August reached 877,393 TEUs, marking the highest single month record in the port's history, a spokesman said yesterday. Full Story

Taipei invention show, technomart to be held

The China Post - The 2007 Taipei International Invention Show and Technomart will take place Sept. 27-30, with 650 local and foreign companies expected to participate in the annual event, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) officials said yesterday. Full Story

Ma calls for cross-strait investment plan

The China Post - The main opposition Kuomintang's (KMT) presidential candidate Tuesday called for investment guarantee accords between Taiwan and China to protect business interests of the many Taiwanese businessmen operating in China. Full Story

Environmental group cautions against major development projects

The China Post - An environmental monitoring group yesterday cautioned against giving a green light on environmental assessments for such controversial development projects as a large steel refinery and a petrochemical park. Full Story

Room to Read takes social entrepreneurship to new height

The China Post - Eight years ago, John Wood found his raison d'etre during a visit to a school in rural Nepal. Disheartened to see an empty library yet touched by the enthusiasm of its teachers and students, he vowed to go back with books. Full Story

Formosa delays plant overhaul after fault

The China Post - Formosa Petrochemical Corp., Taiwan's only publicly traded oil refiner, delayed maintenance at its No. 2 ethylene plant after shutting the company's No. 1 facility for unscheduled repairs. Full Story

Motherboard shipments may rise 14%

The China Post - Asustek Computer Inc., the world's largest maker of boards connecting computer parts, forecast company shipments of the product will rise 14 percent this year on demand in China and Europe. Full Story

Chungkang export zone draws 16 new investments

The China Post - The Chungkang Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) in Taichung County in central Taiwan has attracted 16 new investment projects worth NT$5.58 billion between January and August this year, an official said yesterday. Full Story

Use options to bet NT$ will appreciate, JPMorgan says

The China Post - Investors should use options to bet the Taiwan dollar will gain the next two months as the U.S. economy quickens and sustains demand for exports, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. Full Story

Advanced Semiconductor to buy rest of ASE Test

The China Post - Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc., the world's biggest chip packager and tester, will acquire all shares it doesn't already own in ASE Test Ltd. for US$784 million and delist the Nasdaq-traded unit to cut costs. Full Story

Evergreen may invest in China shipyard

The China Post - Evergreen Group, parent of Taiwan's biggest shipping line, may invest in a Chinese shipbuilder to accelerate delivery of new vessels. Full Story

Shares fall on Shin Kong China issues

The China Post - Taiwan shares fell Tuesday as retail investors sold China-related issues.
The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange lost 56.98 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 8,922.98 on weak volume. Full Story

201 cross-strait business disputes in 2007: Straits Exchange Foundation

The China Post - The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) had dealt with a total of 201 business disputes filed by Taiwan businessmen investing in China in the first eight months of the year, an official of the quasi-official body said yesterday. Full Story

Mitsukoshi staff safe in Taiwan after dispute

The China Post - A Taiwan department store chain said yesterday members of its staff had returned safely to Taipei after a business dispute in Beijing and a police grilling that raised questions about investor safety in China. Full Story

Demand for technicians expected to increase in the fourth quarter

The China Post - Manpower demand is expected to steadily rise in the fourth quarter, with an anticipated increasing demand for technicians, according to a survey released yesterday by the Cabinet-level Council of Labor Affairs (CLA). Full Story

Taiwan's contributions to 'green economy' lauded

The China Post - Officials from various government and local agencies lauded yesterday Taiwan's contributions to the "green economy" at a press conference in Taiwan, while the 15th APEC Leaders Week was being held in Sydney last Sunday on the same issues. Full Story

New DV broadcasting, handheld technology previewed

The China Post - FarEastone and Public Television Service (PTS) announced their joint cooperation on a mobile television at a preview held yesterday. People whose cellphone comes with Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVBH) technology and live between Keelung and Miaoli are able to receive six channels. Full Story

CPC to reduce 2008 oil refinery rates for maintenance shutdowns

The China Post - CPC Corp., Taiwan's state-owned oil refiner, plans to use 9.1 percentage points less of its crude processing capacity next year because of maintenance shutdowns. Full Story

Taiwan electronics to report brilliant sales

The China Post - Taiwan's five major electronics companies will report brilliant sales for August due to high demands for computers and electronic products, the local Commercial Times reported yesterday, citing analysts. Full Story

BenQ to break even in 2007 on projectors, monitors

The China Post - BenQ Corp., the branded electronics subsidiary of Taiwan's Qisda Corp., said it will at least break even this year on sales of projectors and computer monitors. Full Story

Workshop on Taiwan, Indian industry today

The China Post - A Taiwanese-Indian industrial and business cooperation conference is scheduled to take place in Taipei today, with officials, industrial and business leaders from the two sides taking part. Full Story

HSBC to hire in Taiwan private banking

The China Post - HSBC Holdings Plc., Europe's largest bank, plans to add 40 to 50 jobs in wealth management in Taiwan in the next 12 months. Full Story

Discharged draftees take 2.47 months to find work: survey

The China Post - Young men freshly out of their compulsory military service usually find jobs in about two and a half months, a human resources agency said yesterday. Full Story

GreTai starts corporate bond pricing system to spur trading

The China Post - Taiwan's GreTai Securities Market, which operates the island's biggest debt exchange, started a new corporate bond pricing system to help develop the market for the securities. Full Story

Share prices close with little change

The China Post - Taiwan share prices closed with little change Monday as profit-taking eroded earlier gains made on the back of easing credit market worries in the United States, dealers said. Full Story

Lu urges firms to evaluate China investments

The China Post - Both Vice President Annette Lu and vice presidential candidate Vincent Siew of the opposition Kuomintang yesterday called for Taiwanese enterprises to meticulously evaluate relevant risks on making investments in China and other countries. Full Story

Labor output in Southeast Asia'stagnant': International Labor Organization

The China Post - Labor productivity in Southeast Asia has become "stagnant" compared to the rest of Asia and lags considerably behind that of the developed world, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said in a new report published Sunday. Full Story

Gas prices drift NT$0.6 lower today

The China Post - Gasoline prices are being shaved by NT$0.6 per liter while diesel prices are being cut by NT$0.7 per liter starting today, announced two major oil and fuel suppliers in Taiwan. Full Story

Shin Kong chief returns to Taipei after management row

The China Post - The head of the Taiwan-based Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store chain's Beijing operation, who was barred from leaving China over a management dispute last week, returned safely to Taipei yesterday evening, according to a senior official with the Straits Exchange Foundation. Full Story

Reporters have mixed feelings about job: survey

The China Post - Taiwan's reporters have mixed sentiments toward their job, according to a 1111 Job Bank online survey released Saturday. Full Story

AmCham complains about drug price cut

The China Post - A decision made in mid-July by the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) under the Department of Health to sharply cut reimbursement to hospitals for drug purchases not only angered domestic and foreign pharmaceutical makers, but also forced the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei to write a letter of complaint to Premier Chang Chun-hsiung, the Central News Agency reported yesterday. Full Story

85% of manufacturing firms upbeat

The China Post - A majority of 85 percent of Taiwanese manufacturing firms responding to a recent survey are optimistic about business prospects for the second half of the year, a local think tank researcher said yesterday. Full Story

Hon Hai first-half net profit up 32 percent, in line with forecasts

The China Post - Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Taiwan's top electronics parts maker, posted a 32 percent rise in first-half net profit, in line with forecasts, on strong demand for its computer and consumer electronics products. Full Story

Quanta sees strong quarter3 after quarter2's high

The China Post - Taiwan's Quanta Computer Inc., the world's top contract laptop PC maker, Friday notched a record second-quarter profit and forecast strong growth through next year on healthy demand for laptop PCs. Full Story

Acer sides with Blu-ray in disc, storage rivalry

The China Post - Taiwan-based computer manufacturer Acer has joined the Blu-ray camp in the technology dispute over a successor to the DVD data storage and movie disc, a Blu-ray official said in Berlin Thursday. Full Story

Cosmos Bank to sell stake at big discount

The China Post - Taiwan's loss-making Cosmos Bank will sell a US$900 million stake to a U.S. hedge fund and General Electric at a steep discount, marking the latest acquisition by foreigners in the island's overcrowded financial sector. Full Story

Shin Kong in JV dispute with China partner

The China Post - Taiwan retailer Shin Kong Mitsukoshi said Friday it is in talks with mainland Chinese partner Beijing Hualian Group over disputes in running a joint venture department store in the Chinese capital. Full Story

Shin Kong Financial holds US$1.1 billion in CDOs

The China Post - Shin Kong Financial, parent of Taiwan's No.2 life insurer, said Friday it has NT$37 billion (US$1.1 billion) in U.S. collateralized debt obligations. Full Story

Formosa cuts sulfur content, boosting sales to Europe

The China Post - Formosa Petrochemicals Corp. may start to export a cleaner-burning diesel in January, targeting increased sales to Europe where stricter pollution control laws are being enforced, two company officials said. Full Story

Evergreen Marine posts second quarter profit on container rates

The China Post - Evergreen Marine Corp., Taiwan's biggest shipping line, returned to a profit in the second quarter after Asia's booming exports of toys, clothes and other goods allowed it to charge more for carrying containers. Full Story

Asian markets rise, hoping for subprime fix

The China Post - Asian markets extended gains Friday on news the U.S. government was working on a policy to ease subprime woes. Full Story

Shares close sharply higher, 2.41 percent

The China Post - Taiwan share prices closed sharply higher Friday, up 2.41 percent on follow-through buying, regional strength and support for stocks with an exposure to China, dealers said. Full Story