Highlighted business news in Taiwan, China and Hong Kong for Nov. 28, 2014.
Chang San-cheng Wants to Reboot Taiwan’s Competitiveness
A misaligned post-secondary sector, industry lagging in innovation, and China’s unethical state-capitalism all worry Taiwan’s Minister of Science and Technology.
Chang San-cheng: Taiwan is Still Innovative, But Struggles Against ‘Unethical’ China
A misaligned post-secondary sector, industry lagging in innovation, and China’s unethical state capitalism all worry Taiwan’s Minister of Science and Technology.
Taiwan Need Not Fear China’s Free Trade Agreement With South Korea
The anchor of South Korea’s high-tech sector is rife with internal problems, giving Taiwanese firms a leg up.
Chinese Smartphone Brands Test Taiwan’s Waters
The tiny Taiwan market is proving tough for Chinese smartphone brands, Matthew Fulco reports.
Futuremark Acquired by Underwriters Laboratories
Futuremark, the world famous and respected benchmarking company has been acquired by world renowned safety certification company Underwriters Laboratories
Bitcoin Now For Sale at Taiwan’s Family Mart
Taipei-based Bitcoin entrepreneurs have found a way around Taiwan’s Bitcoin ban, thereby making Taiwan’s ultra-convenient convenience stores even better for those in the market for some BTC.
China Challenges Taiwan in Tech Hardware
State support is helping Chinese firms catch up fast to their Taiwanese rivals in the China technology market, Matthew Fulco reports
Xiaomi Under Fire in Taiwan For Security Issues
Authorities in Taiwan are investigating whether China’s Xiaomi poses a cyber security risk, according to reports. A spokesperson for the Taiwan government has been quoted in the press saying that recent reports of Xiaomi phones sending back user data to Xiaomi servers in China prompted the investigation. The spokesperson said that the Taiwanese government would release the findings from its investigation in three months time. This isn’t the first time Xiaomi, the low-cost high-performance smartphone brand from China, has caught the ire of a government. This past August, Singapore’s government said it would investigate Xiaomi after complaints from users in-country that Xiaomi phones were copying
Apple Supplier Once Again Accused of Labour Malpractices
Apple (NASDAQ: APPL) is on the verge of releasing a new iPhone, and once again it has been targeted by labour groups over allegations of unsafe labor practices by one of its suppliers. According to a report co-authored by China Labor Watch and Green America, employees at a Suqian, China based factory owned by Catcher Technology, a Taiwan-headquartered company, were forced to work excessive overtime and were working in an environment that had excessive aluminum shavings on its floor, no respirator equipment, and improper ventilation. In addition, the groups say that during their undercover investigations they have discovered that workers have not received any safety training.
Taiwan’s Economy Growing Fast as Demand for PCs and Mobile Remains Steady
The “comeback” of the PC sector and steady demand for mobile devices means a solid year of economic growth for Taiwan, a new report says. Taiwan’s economy is expected to grow at 3.27% in 2014, according to a report released by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics in July. This comes just over official government goals of 2.8% annual growth. These numbers were recently corroborated by data from a report by the Institute for Economic Research (Ifo) World Economic Survey released earlier this month. The group was optimistic about Taiwan’s prospects in the second half of the year. In addition, Taiwan’s industrial economic
Computex from a Woman’s Perspective, Part I
When I found out that I’m actually going to Computex Taipei 2014, my first thought was – well, nothing. The fact is that through all of my journalist years I’ve heard news bits about an IT conference that is held in Taiwan every year for the last 33 years. Somehow, I couldn’t imagine myself being actually there on that very spot. I’m aware that as for all of you BSN readers, I don’t have to explain what it’s all about. Somehow though, I still like to think that I’m not the only one who’s been IT ignorant so maybe this typically chick-lit text will find
