Setting Up Overseas Special Zones in Taiwan

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The Taiwanese government should play an active role in Taiwanese small-and-medium enterprises' (SME) international expansion, possibly through "overseas special zones," Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei has said.

Kuo said he envisions a special arrangement designed by the government to help Taiwanese SMEs that do not have the same kind of resources and bargaining power of industry giants such as TSMC and GlobalWafers Co., gain a foothold overseas.

Learn more about other ideas Kuo proposed such as setting up 'sogo shosha' style Japanese general trading companies.

A Strong Earthquake Strikes SSW of Hualien, Taiwan, Sparking Tsunami Warnings

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A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off Taiwan’s eastern coast Wednesday at 8 AM local time, according to the US Geological Survey, prompting tsunami warnings for the island and southern Japan.

The quake’s epicenter is located about 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien. Tremors were felt across the island, including by CNN staff in Taipei.

Officials in Hualien county said that work and school were suspended following the earthquake. On social media, users posted images of tilted and half-collapsed buildings and landslides in the area. Authorities sent an alert to residents that they should seek cover nearby, crouch down and “stay calm.”

The quake had a depth of around 21 miles, according to the USGS. It was located about 11 miles south-southwest of Hualien City.

Earthquake hazards program.

How Would a Chinese Blockade of Taiwan Affect Global Business?

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A Chinese blockade of Taiwan would cripple global supply chains and raise freight prices in Asia and potentially beyond, because of the outsize role that the island of roughly 23 million people plays in global business.

Here are some questions and answers about the tensions across the Taiwan Strait and the possible fallout on global business should China attempt to blockade the island.

Big Scooter Company in Taiwan Preps for Global

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Gogoro is probably best-known internationally for its electric SmartScooters, which are now the category’s top-sellers in Taiwan.

While less known outside of the country, however, scooter-sharing startup WeMo has grown steadily since launching in 2016. It now has a fleet of more than 7,000 scooters in three of Taiwan’s biggest cities and says users take about one million rides per month.  As result of this robust activity, WeMo is gearing up for international expansion, launching first in Southeast Asian countries.

In Taiwan, WeMo competes with iRent, a car and scooter rental service, as well as GoShare, the mobility-sharing platform Gogoro launched a year ago.

Learn more about how WeMo is focused on creating smart tech specifically for sharing scooters.

Global Competition

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High Tech Computer, a hardly-known but rapid-growing Taiwanese gadget maker, unveiled a touch-screen smartphone called Touch Diamond.

Looks like Apple has some healthy global competition coming its way against the iPhone .