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☆ Taiwan wants to hire Indian workers. What’s skin color or religion got to do with it?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Diksha Madhok | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New Delhi/Hong Kong CNN —Taiwan has swung into damage control mode after its labor minister made controversial comments about the skin color, religion and diets of some Indians ahead of a potential drive to recruit migrant workers to the island. In a separate apology, Taiwan’s labor ministry said Hsu implied “absolutely no discriminatory connotation when she mentioned ‘similar skin color’ in the interview. CNN has reached out to India’s Ministry of External Affairs for comments. In February, Taiwan said it will hire migrant workers from India to ease its labor shortage, but did not share any other details. Taipei currently allows migrant workers from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines to work in the island, according to the labor ministry.

Persons: Hsu Ming, chun, ”, ” Hsu, Hsu, Hsu’s, Taiwan’s Foxconn, ” Young Liu, ” Liu, Padma Bhushan Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Taiwan, Yahoo, Labor, CNN, India’s Ministry, Affairs, Padma, Bloomberg Locations: New Delhi, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India’s, India, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Covid, “ India, Japan, South Korea, Taipei, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines

☆ Foxconn is still running with difficult status quo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Chan Ka Sing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Nov 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Terry Gou is not running for Taiwan’s presidency after all. Nonetheless, the $45 billion Apple (AAPL.O) supplier’s continuing push to move production outside of China leaves it firmly on frontlines of rising cross-strait tensions. Foxconn grew into the biggest employer in China, with more than 1 million workers at its peak and a top contract manufacturer for global brands. Foxconn is out of the election spotlight but it still has to grapple with an awkward status quo. CONTEXT NEWSTerry Gou, the billionaire founder of electronics maker Foxconn, announced on Nov. 24 that he will be withdrawing from Taiwan’s presidential election next month.

Persons: Terry Gou, Critics, Foxconn, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Apple, Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, KMT, Hai Precision Industry, World Trade Organization, Reuters Graphics, China -, Foxconn, Taipei Times, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, Kuomintang, Taipei

☆ Terry Gou: Foxconn founder drops out of Taiwan presidential race
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Wayne Chang | Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Taipei/Hong Kong CNN —Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of major Apple supplier Foxconn, withdrew from the race to become Taiwan’s next president on Friday, just hours before the deadline to formally register as a candidate. “I have never yielded in the battlefield of international business,” Gou said in a statement, without providing a specific reason for the retreat. “For the future of the Republic of China, choosing to yield is all the love I can give to my homeland,” Gou added, referencing Taiwan’s official name. Gou founded Foxconn, established as Hon Hai Precision Industry in Taiwan, in 1974. Shortly after he announced his bid, Chinese state media reported that Foxconn was under investigation by authorities in China over land use and tax concerns.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Terry Gou, Taiwan’s, “, ” Gou, Gou’s, Tammy Lai, ”, Hou Yu, Ko Wen, Gou, Foxconn, wouldn’t, Hai Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Apple, Foxconn, ih, Kuomintang, Taiwan People’s Party, Democratic Progressive Party, Hai Precision Industry, Communist, CNN, for Public Credit Locations: Taipei, Hong Kong, Republic of China, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Wuhan

Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn’s headquarters. Photo: sam yeh/AFP/Getty ImagesFor decades, Apple has navigated an escalating series of challenges in China, from fake stores and factory protests to tightening censorship and app rules. Now, the iPhone maker risks getting dragged into the most volatile issue in U.S.-China relations: the future of Taiwan. On Sunday, Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology—one of Apple’s largest suppliers—said it is cooperating with Chinese authorities after state media reported China had opened tax and land-use probes into the company. The investigations come as Foxconn’s billionaire founder Terry Gou pursues a bid for the Taiwan presidency.

Persons: —, Terry Gou Organizations: Foxconn’s, Getty, Apple, Foxconn Technology Locations: AFP, China, Taiwan

☆ Foxconn’s China woes expose supply chain dilemma
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Chan Ka Sing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Yet, coming less than 100 days ahead of Taiwan’s presidential election in January, it is difficult to see surprise tax raids on Foxconn as having no geopolitical implications. For multinationals, the tax audits expose Foxconn’s difficulty in navigating the global business environment as tensions across the Taiwan Strait escalate. For global onlookers anxious to reduce their Chinese dependency, Foxconn could be the most telling case on the true cost of reshoring. The audits come less than three months ahead of Taiwan’s presidential election in January 2024 and amid Foxconn’s drive to expand its production outside China. Foxconn’s founder Terry Gou, who stepped down as company chief in 2019, is running as an independent candidate in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election.

Persons: Foxconn, Terry Gou, It’s, Foxconn’s, Lisa Jucca, Thomas Shum, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Apple, Hai Precision Industry, Global Times, Eastern, Democratic Progressive Party, Foxconn, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Taiwan, Foxconn, Beijing, Vietnam, Republic, Shanghai, Taipei

☆ Apple iPhone maker Foxconn being investigated in China as founder runs for Taiwan presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —Taiwan’s Foxconn, one of Apple’s largest suppliers, is being investigated by authorities in China, according to state media. Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, has iPhone factories in Guangdong and Henan, including the world’s largest in the city of Zhengzhou. The company’s listed unit in Shanghai, Foxconn Industrial Internet, plummeted by its daily limit of 10% on Monday. Terry Gou, Foxconn founder, announces bid for Taiwan presidency during a press event in Taipei on August 28. The crackdown came despite repeated calls from Chinese leaders to welcome more foreign investment to boost the country’s slowing economy.

Persons: Taiwan’s, Terry Gou, won’t, Foxconn, “, ”, Brock Silvers, Gou, Hai, ” Gou, Ann Wang, Lai Ching, — Hou Yu, Ko Wen, Zhang Wensheng, ” Zhang, Silvers Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Global Times, CNN, Hai Precision Industry, Foxconn Technology, WPP, drugmaker Astellas Pharma, Kaiyuan, “, Apple, Communist, Taiwan, Democratic People’s Party, ih, Kuomintang, Taiwan People’s Party, Beijing, China’s Xiamen University, Financial Times, Shanghai, Economic Observer Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Henan, Hubei, Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Taipei, Taiwan

☆ Apple Supplier Foxconn Faces Chinese Investigations
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Yang Jie | Joyu Wang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Foxconn has a significant presence in China, with operations focused on making consumer electronics and more. Photo: VCG/Getty ImagesFoxconn Technology Group, one of Apple ’s biggest suppliers, said it is cooperating with Chinese authorities after Chinese state media said the Taiwan-based contract electronics maker, whose founder is seeking the Taiwan presidency, is subject to tax and land-use investigations across China. China’s state-backed Global Times reported on Sunday that Chinese tax authorities are scrutinizing Foxconn’s facilities in southern Guangdong province and eastern Jiangsu, while natural-resources authorities are conducting on-site investigations into the company’s land use in Henan and Hubei provinces.

Persons: Foxconn Organizations: Foxconn Technology, Apple, Global Times Locations: China, Taiwan, China’s, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Henan, Hubei

☆ Taiwan’s Foxconn to build ‘AI factories’ with Nvidia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Taipei CNN —Taiwan’s Foxconn says it plans to build artificial intelligence (AI) data factories with technology from American chip giant Nvidia, as the electronics maker ramps up efforts to become a major global player in electric car manufacturing. Foxconn Chairman Young Liu and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang jointly announced the plans on Wednesday in Taipei. The duo said the new facilities using Nvidia’s chips and software will enable Foxconn to better utilize AI in its electric vehicles (EV). Nearly 14 million electric cars will be sold in 2023, it projected. REUTERS/Ann Wang Ann Wang/ReutersDuring last year’s tech day, Liu told reporters that the company hoped to build 5% of the world’s electric cars by 2025.

Persons: Taipei CNN — Taiwan’s Foxconn, Young Liu, Jensen Huang, ” Huang, “, ” Liu, Foxconn, ”, Kylie Huang, Ann Wang Ann Wang, Liu, Chiang Shang, TSMC, Jun Seki, Bill Russo, Automobility, Tesla, ‘ I’m, ’, ” Hanna Ziady Organizations: Taipei CNN, Nvidia, Foxconn, Global, International Energy Agency, Hai Technology Group, Daiwa, Tech, REUTERS, Reuters, Lordstown Motors, General Motors, EV, Nissan Motor, Infineon Technologies Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Kaohsiung, EVs, Ohio, Chiang, German, Shanghai

CNN —Billionaire businessman Terry Gou has resigned from the board of directors of Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, days after announcing his bid for Taiwan’s presidency. A self-made, septuagenarian billionaire with a net worth of $6.8 billion, the 72-year-old Gou founded Foxconn, established as Hon Hai Precision Industry in Taiwan in 1974. It grew to become an international business empire and one of the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturers. Taiwan’s presidential election, due in January, comes at period of fraught tensions between the island of 24 million people and its superpower neighbor, China. Taiwan’s presidential election is expected to take place on January 13, 2024.

Persons: Terry Gou, “, ”, Gou, Young Liu Organizations: CNN —, Foxconn, Taiwan’s, CNN, Hai Technology Group, Hai Precision Industry, Apple, Kuomintang, Democratic Progressive Party Locations: Taiwan, China

Opposition candidates, including Gou, blame the DPP for provoking Beijing and stoking tensions, labeling the vote as a choice between war and peace. Meanwhile, the DPP’s candidate, Vice President Lai Ching-te, has framed the election as a choice between democracy and authoritarianism. Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's Vice President and presidential hopeful, meets the foreign press in Taipei on August 25. In addition to securing 290,000 votes before November, Gou also needs to announce his running mate before September 17, as required by Taiwan’s Central Election Commission. “Gou is really having a race against time, and time is really not in his favor,” Sung said.

Persons: Terry Gou, Tsai Ing, Xi, China –, Lai Ching, “ Don’t, ”, Lai, Taijing Wu, Priding, Foxconn, Gou, China’s, ” Gou, roiling, Hou Yu, Ko Wen, Hou, who’s, “, Ko, Sung, ” Sung Organizations: CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, Harvard, ”, Communist Party, Chinese Communist Party, Kuomintang, KMT, ih, New, Taiwan People’s Party, Australia National University’s Taiwan Studies, Reuters, Taiwan’s Locations: Taiwan, China, Ukraine, Beijing, Moscow, United States, Lai, Taipei, Shenzhen, Taiwan Strait, Diaoyutai, Foxconn, New Taipei City

☆ Taiwan’s Foxconn says it sees ‘billions’ of dollars in India investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A month after exiting an ambitious project to help build one of India’s first chip factories, Taiwan’s Foxconn says it remains bullish about the world’s most populous nation and is planning “billions” of dollars in investments there, as multinationals seek to diversify their supply chains beyond China. Foxconn’s India operations account for about $10 billion — or just under 5% — of the company’s annual turnover, which stood at $6.627 trillion new Taiwan dollars ($207 billion) last year, Chairman Young Liu told a Monday earnings call. “There is a positive energy for this market,” he said in response to a question from CNN. Foxconn, best known for making Apple (AAPL)’s iPhones, has more than 30 factories in India, including 20 dormitories that house tens of thousands of workers. It was seen as a blow to the New Delhi government’s plans to turn the country into a tech manufacturing powerhouse.

Persons: Taiwan’s Foxconn, Young Liu, ”, ” Liu, Foxconn Organizations: CNN, “, Apple, Vedanta Locations: China, India, Taiwan, Delhi

Foxconn's turnaround efforts initially paid off: by 2018, Sharp was back in the black. Moreover, analysts estimate assembling iPhones and other Apple (AAPL.O) gadgets still brings in more than half of Foxconn’s annual sales. The troubled unit was once a joint venture between Sharp, Foxconn and an entity tied to Gou. The company attributed the slump to a non-operating loss of T$19.7 billion related to its 34% stake in Japanese electronics maker Sharp. Sharp reported a 220-billion-yen ($1.6 billion) impairment loss in the quarter, mostly from buildings, machinery and goodwill relating to display businesses.

Lordstown said Foxconn cited the delisting notice the Ohio-based company received from Nasdaq in a letter alleging the breach. Lordstown shares were trading mid-morning at $0.39, down 13 cents a share. Lordstown warned that "there is substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern". Without a resolution with Foxconn, other funding or partners, it said it could be forced to file for bankruptcy. Lordstown Motors bought a former General Motors (GM.N) small car assembly plant and equipment for $20 million in Ohio after the Detroit automaker closed it in March 2019.

☆ Lordstown Motors stock plunges after dispute with investor Foxconn
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

With that arrangement apparently unraveling, Lordstown could face bankruptcy, according to the truck maker. In 2021, it purchased an Ohio factory that Lordstown Motors had, itself, bought from General Motors in 2019. According to papers Lordstown Motors filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, Foxconn has claimed that Lordstown has not met the agreed- upon requirements and, so, Foxconn is refusing to follow through with agreed-upon future investments. In April, Lordstown Motors received a letter from Nasdaq notifying the company that, because of its low stock price, the company was in danger of being delisted from the exchange. Because of that letter, according to Lordstown, Foxconn claimed the company had not met the investment agreements.

The last time Cook visited China was in 2019. We also have a thriving App Store,” the Apple chief was quoted as saying in state-run China Daily. On Friday, Cook had posted a picture of himself smiling with customers and staff at the Apple store in the shopping district of Sanlitun on China’s Twitter-like social media site Weibo. “TikTok CEO was under siege at the US hearing, while Apple CEO was enthusiastically welcomed by people at its flagship Chinese store. China’s commerce ministry said Thursday that a forced sale of TikTok would “seriously damage” global investors’ confidence in the United States.

☆ Apple Supplier Foxconn Plans to Rely Less on China for Revenue
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Joyu Wang | Yoko Kubota | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Foxconn has been diversifying its production sites as well as the products it makes. TAIPEI— Foxconn Technology Group, one of Apple ’s biggest suppliers, said it would rely less on China as a source of revenue as it diversifies production sites to strengthen supply-chain resilience. About 70% of Foxconn’s revenue comes from China, said Young Liu , the company’s chairman. Going forward, the proportion coming from markets outside of China will continue to grow, he said in an earnings call Wednesday. Foxconn’s revenue in 2022 was 6.6 trillion New Taiwan dollars, equivalent to around $215 billion.

☆ Apple supplier Foxconn is on the hunt for semiconductor and EV deals in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan’s Foxconn has been looking to expand its operations in the South Asian giant after suffering severe supply disruptions in China last year. “India is a country with a large population,” Young Liu, the company’s chairman and CEO, said in a Saturday statement. The company, best known for making Apple (AAPL)’s iPhones, is one of the world’s biggest contract makers of electronics. India has emerged as an attractive potential alternative to China for the likes of Apple. Apple devices are currently manufactured in India by Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron, which are all Taiwanese companies.

☆ Foxconn January sales hit record high after production restored at world’s biggest iPhone factory
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Apple supplier Foxconn says its January monthly sales hit a record high as it bounced back from Covid-19 disruptions in China. The manufacturer attributed its performance to a strong rebound at its sprawling campus in Zhengzhou, central China. The site, which is home to the world’s biggest iPhone factory, was crippled late last year by Covid-19 restrictions and workers’ protests. The figures underscore how Foxconn’s Zhengzhou campus, also known as “iPhone city,” is roaring back to life after the massive setbacks. The headaches had led analysts to predict that Apple would likely speed up its supply chain diversification away from China.

☆ White-Collar Recession: Why Job Cuts Are Hitting Professional Workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Why It’s Hard for Apple to Make iPhones Outside of China Apple is facing an uphill battle as it plans to shift its production out of China. Here’s why it’s difficult to replicate Foxconn’s ‘iPhone City’ in Zhengzhou and the company’s finely-tuned ecosystem in countries like India and Vietnam. Photo: Karen Dias/Bloomberg News

The most chilling moment in Gerard Johnstone’s new horror film, “M3GAN,” comes early. Its wildly popular — and immediately viral — trailer seems to give away the entire story, beat by beat, but what it can’t convey is the picture’s delightfully oddball tone, which is poised at a peculiar juncture of slasher horror and self-aware satire. Gemma, dressed in flannels, so you know she’s an antisocial nerd, has developed M3GAN, short for Model 3 Generative ANdroid. As a character, M3GAN is a marvel of design, combining body actor (Amie Donald), voice (Jenna Davis), animatronics, makeup and special effects. (“Humanity kills every day, just to make its existence more bearable,” M3GAN cackles, presumably after doing some online reading about Apple and Foxconn’s Longhua facility.)

☆ What’s Behind Tesla’s Stock Slide?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, is gearing up to supply cars, and the chips and batteries that go into them, to global marques. It sees automakers entrusting the company with production in Indonesia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, the United States and beyond. Getting there requires Foxconn ditching a tried and tested business model. To make smartphones, the company relies on a few factories it owns in China and it has little say over the underlying supply chains and which components to use. Foxconn has also tied up with Ohio-based Lordstown Motors (RIDE.O) in the United States; its factory is already making electric pickup trucks and could start supplying to other American brands within a year.

Hong Kong CNN —Production at the world’s biggest iPhone factory, disrupted since October by China’s Covid-19 restrictions and worker protests, is now running at nearly full capacity, according to a Chinese state media report. The sprawling campus in central China, owned by Apple (AAPL) supplier Foxconn, was running at 90% of planned production capacity at the end of December, the Henan Daily newspaper reported Tuesday. It cited an interview with Wang Xue, deputy general manager of the facility, which is also known as iPhone city. Gou’s office told CNN that it “denies the report and its contents.”Wang was quoted by the Henan Daily as saying iPhone City currently had about 200,000 workers on site. Analysts said the production woes at iPhone City would speed up the pace of Apple’s supply chain diversification away from China.

A letter from the founder of the world’s largest iPhone assembler played a major role in persuading China’s Communist Party leadership to accelerate plans to dismantle the country’s zero-tolerance Covid-19 policies, according to people familiar with the matter. In the letter to Chinese leaders, Foxconn Technology Group founder Terry Gou warned that strict Covid controls would threaten China’s central position in global supply chains and demanded more transparency into restrictions on the company’s workers, the people said. Mr. Gou sent the letter a little more than a month ago as Foxconn’s factory in the city of Zhengzhou was rocked by turmoil over Covid restrictions.

China has begun to ease some of its Covid restrictions after following a strict containment policy. A letter from the founder of the world’s largest iPhone assembler played a major role in persuading China’s Communist Party leadership to accelerate plans to dismantle the country’s zero-tolerance Covid-19 policies, according to people familiar with the matter. In the letter to Chinese leaders, Foxconn Technology Group founder Terry Gou warned that strict Covid controls would threaten China’s central position in global supply chains and demanded more transparency into restrictions on the company’s workers, the people said. Mr. Gou sent the letter a little more than a month ago as Foxconn’s factory in the city of Zhengzhou was rocked by turmoil over Covid restrictions.

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