Forward-looking‧Professional‧International 
May 2013  
Mixed global economic conditions slow down momentum
TIER survey signaled tedious business conditions
The United States and Japan are the very few among the developed group that have been able to stay with the recovery track. Despite the sequestration started on March 1, the US was able to pull off a 1.8% growth y-o-y for Q1. The growth of national defense dropped by 6.1%; however, the private investment and private consumption grew by 5.1% and 2.0% respectively. Japan’s consumers’ confidence is high thanks to the 3 arrows of the Abe administration. International forecasting agencies including Global Insight, EIU, OECD and IMF adjusted their GDP forecast for Japanese economy this year upward. However, what’s happening in Europe now is a sheer different story. The Euro zone is in recession in both reality and econ 101 textbook theories. Following 4-consecutive-quarter decline in GDP last year, the Euro zone economic growth further went down by 1.0% in Q1, 2013. The Chinese economy also went slow in Q1 with a 7.7% growth y-o-y. The quasi-soft-landing of China’s economy was caused by weakening European demand as well as its anti-corruption movements. In a nutshell, the mixed global economic conditions slow down momentum and hold back Taiwan’s much needed recuperation. The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research survey signaled tedious domestic conditions.

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WCY: Taiwan ranked the 11th competitive economy in 2013
Taiwan’s ranking dropped to 11th this year from 7th in 2012 according to the 2013 World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY). WCY is compiled by International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland. The ranking is being closely monitored by the global investment community. In Asia, Taiwan’s ranking is only behind Hong Kong and Singapore. The factors caused dropping in ranking are economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure.

Cross-Strait agree to further open its banking business at the third Banking Supervision Platform meeting
Taiwan Economic Research Monthly
Renewable energy mechanism revolution and its outlook
Feed-in Tariff (FIT) and Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) development and coopetition
FIT and RPS are two major mechanisms to promote renewable energy development in worldwide. FIT provides long-term, stable and profitable contracts to renewable energy producers while RPS is a mechanism that decides the renewable energy prices through the market competition in order to promote renewable energy. This article generally analyses the characteristics of both FIT and RPS and their future coopetition
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