Taiwan Finance

  • AI semiconductors lifted Taiwan’s supply chain and macroeconomic data at the same time. MediaTek drew market attention over AI ASICs and Google TPU-related orders, while Foxconn’s 2025 revenue exceeded NT$8.1 trillion and its cloud and networking products became its largest business group. ABF substrates also faced a supply gap driven by AI server demand. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics estimated Taiwan’s Q1 2026 GDP growth at 13.69%, led mainly by goods exports and demand for AI and high-performance computing. (Sources: CTWANT, SET News, Yahoo News Taiwan)
  • Taiwan stocks hit new highs, while concentration and leverage risks also surfaced. TSMC reached NT$2,330 intraday and the TAIEX briefly topped 40,000, but more listed and over-the-counter stocks fell than rose that day. Several brokerages adjusted stock-collateral loan ratios, and the Financial Supervisory Commission’s Securities and Futures Bureau said the moves were internal risk controls; market discussion also focused on the high ratio of total stock-market capitalization to GDP. (Sources: United Daily News, FTNN, Yahoo Stock Taiwan)
  • National wealth statistics showed continued asset growth. The DGBAS reported that Taiwan’s gross national wealth reached NT$330.11 trillion in 2024, up 3.2% year over year. Based on 9.48 million households, average household wealth was about NT$19.36 million and average liabilities were about NT$2.61 million. (Source: Yahoo News Taiwan)
  • Global oil prices affected energy costs and financial-market expectations. Middle East tensions pushed oil prices higher, while CPC Corporation Taiwan said gasoline and diesel prices would remain unchanged from April 27, with 92 unleaded gasoline staying at NT$32.4 per liter. Reports on the Fed keeping rates unchanged in the same week also made oil prices and inflation pressure a focus for markets. (Sources: CardU, Yahoo News Taiwan)
  • Global asset prices fluctuated between oil, interest rates, and tech earnings. All four major U.S. stock indexes closed higher on April 30, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq setting records. The yen also surged amid reports of official intervention, while COMEX gold fell 11.77% across March and April, reflecting the impact of high oil prices and changing rate expectations across asset classes. (Sources: SET News, SET News, Newtalk)
  • Individual corporate governance and financial-reporting risks still emerged during the bull market. Chung Fu Tex-International was suspended from trading on April 29 after failing to complete its restated financial filing. Occurring in the same week as brokerage collateral-loan adjustments, the case also drew attention to company disclosure and risk controls beyond index performance. (Sources: SET News, FTNN)

Taiwan Politics

  • Lai Ching-te’s Eswatini trip moved from blocked flight routes to a low-profile visit. The original itinerary was postponed after changes to flight permissions over African countries, and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung first traveled as a special envoy. Lai later made the visit with a smaller delegation and public disclosure after arrival; the Mainland Affairs Council also used the incident to describe Chinese pressure on Taiwan through aviation and diplomatic channels. (Sources: Newtalk, NOWnews, United Daily News)
  • Cross-strait gray-zone pressure extended into communications, diplomacy, and institutional risk. The Taiwan-Matsu No. 3 submarine cable was damaged off Dongyin on April 29, disrupting communications between Beigan and Dongyin. China also implemented zero tariffs for 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing while excluding Eswatini, adding economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan’s ally. (Sources: NOWnews, CNA)
  • A retired officer’s participation in PLA events sparked debate over cross-strait rules and veterans’ restrictions. Retired naval officer Lu Li-shih attended Chinese navy events in Qingdao, boarded a PLA vessel, and made public remarks. The Mainland Affairs Council and Ministry of National Defense said they would review existing rules, with debate focusing on whether lower-ranking retired officers fall into a regulatory gap. (Sources: Yahoo News Taiwan, NOWnews)
  • Tanks, unmanned systems, and counter-drone capabilities became core defense-procurement themes. Taiwan completed delivery of 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks from the United States after the final 28 vehicles arrived at Taipei Port. The Ministry of National Defense is also planning to introduce quadruped robots and procure more than 210,000 drones through a special budget, strengthening urban reconnaissance, unmanned systems, and counter-drone capabilities. (Sources: Yahoo News Taiwan, United Daily News)
  • The special defense budget stalled both in the legislature and inside the Kuomintang. Legislative Yuan negotiations over the defense budget failed to reach consensus, with the cost and necessity of items such as M109A7 self-propelled howitzers becoming points of dispute. Inside the KMT, competing positions over an NT$800 billion version and the party’s own proposal also triggered internal conflict; the next negotiation was scheduled for May 6. (Sources: Storm Media, United Daily News, SET News)
  • Blue-white local-election cooperation and the KMT’s 2028 planning continued to take shape. The Kuomintang and Taiwan People’s Party completed their joint New Taipei mayoral primary, with Lee Ssu-chuan winning and Huang Kuo-chang saying he would campaign for him. Reports in the same week also discussed Lu Shiow-yen, Han Kuo-yu, and the KMT’s 2028 presidential-election positioning. (Sources: Yahoo News Taiwan, Tai Sounds)
  • National-security and judicial issues extended into a major sporting event and an old Taipei case. In the Chinese registration case for the Asian LGBTQ+ Games, the Kaohsiung City Government and National Immigration Agency found suspected AI-forged materials and PLA-linked backgrounds among some applications, then decided to deny entry to the relevant individuals. Separately, Taipei prosecutors investigated the Zhongxiao Bridge ramp demolition case, and the Agency Against Corruption had summoned witnesses. (Sources: FTV News, SET News)

World

  • The U.S.-Iran conflict linked the Strait of Hormuz, energy prices, and negotiation terms. Trump canceled the U.S. side’s second round of talks in Pakistan, then said he had received a new Iranian proposal. In the same week, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply, the U.S. disclosed that “Operation Epic Fury” had cost US$25 billion, and officials said the blockade would continue until Iran signed a nuclear agreement. (Sources: CNA, CNA, CNA)
  • U.S. sanctions on Iran’s energy network extended to a Chinese port. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned China’s Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal, saying it imported Iranian crude oil, and warned that payments for passage through the Strait of Hormuz could trigger sanctions. After Iran submitted a proposal through Pakistani mediators, Trump still said both military and agreement options remained under consideration. (Sources: CNA, CNA)
  • Western defense autonomy and rising global military spending advanced at the same time. Some NATO members discussed shifting summits to every two years, partly after the United States acted against Iran without prior notice to allies. Germany plans to expand active-duty forces to 260,000 by 2039, while the United States also announced a reduction of 5,000 troops stationed in Germany. SIPRI reported that global military spending approached US$2.9 trillion in 2025, with Asia-Pacific growth reaching its highest rate in 16 years. (Sources: CNA, CNA, Liberty Times)
  • Taiwan Strait issues intensified across U.S.-China, African, and first-island-chain settings. Wang Yi told Marco Rubio that Taiwan is the biggest risk point in U.S.-China relations. China implemented zero tariffs for African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing while excluding Eswatini. Japan’s revised Free and Open Indo-Pacific framework focused on supply chains, undersea cables, satellite communications, and defense cooperation. (Sources: Yahoo News Taiwan, CNA, CNA)
  • U.S. political-security and judicial controversies continued to build. The suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting was charged with attempted assassination of Trump, while former FBI Director James Comey appeared in court over the “86 47” post and denied the charges. Both cases made political violence, speech boundaries, and prosecution of political figures major U.S. political issues for the week. (Sources: CNA, Yahoo News Taiwan)
  • Chinese AI companies expanded competition through low pricing and domestic-chip adaptation. DeepSeek V4-Pro entered the market with a low-price strategy and completed adaptation for Chinese domestic chips including Huawei Ascend and Cambricon, with related reports framing it as part of competition over agent and inference costs. (Source: United Daily News)

U.S. Finance

  • A cooling U.S. labor market reset rate expectations. Employment-related reports this week showed job gains below market expectations, leading investors to reassess the Federal Reserve’s rate-cut timeline. Reports on Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway in the same week also reflected large investors’ preference to keep cash available while waiting for a larger market correction. (Sources: Yahoo Finance, Barchart, TheStreet)
  • Major technology and platform companies saw governance, listing, and M&A developments. GameStop was reported to be preparing a takeover offer for eBay, while SpaceX was reported to be preparing an IPO at a US$1.75 trillion valuation. Apple’s new CEO John Ternus made his first appearance on an earnings call, and Elon Musk testified in litigation involving OpenAI, making technology governance and capital structure key themes for the week. (Sources: Bloomberg, Motley Fool, 9to5Mac, CNBC)
  • AI infrastructure demand supported storage and hardware companies. Seagate’s shares jumped after a strong quarterly report, with coverage pointing to AI data-center storage demand as a supporting factor. Reports of a possible SpaceX listing and AI supply-chain themes also kept capital markets focused on large technology-infrastructure stories. (Sources: Yahoo Finance, Motley Fool)
  • The electric-vehicle market combined production progress with price competition. The first Tesla Semi from a high-volume production line rolled off, marking a new phase in commercialization of electric heavy trucks. BYD’s new EV attracted a large number of orders at a low price, highlighting differences between Chinese and U.S. electric-vehicle cost structures. (Sources: Electrek, TheStreet)
  • Tax policy, retirement plans, and local fiscal pressure surfaced together. Some Republican lawmakers discussed cutting capital gains taxes, but the party remained divided over deficits and distributional effects. Trump signed an executive order expanding eligibility for retirement savings plans, while New York City’s budget gap and tax proposals drew criticism from financial-industry figures. (Sources: Bloomberg, Bloomberg, NBC New York, Yahoo Finance)
  • Retail pricing and personalized data use drew state-level regulatory attention. Maryland proposed banning retailers from using consumer behavior data for individualized dynamic pricing. If passed, the bill could become a state-level U.S. regulatory case for algorithmic pricing. (Source: Moneywise)
  • U.S. debt and Berkshire Hathaway’s succession planning became market background issues. Musk publicly warned about U.S. federal debt risks, while Berkshire successor Greg Abel’s portfolio adjustments were also used by markets to assess investment allocation in the post-Buffett era. (Sources: Moneywise, Motley Fool)

Note: This article is translated from Traditional Chinese.