It has been a tough year so far for Foxconn. With 12 employee suicides and the latest news of significant first half losses, 2009 is shaping up to be a year the company would likely want to forget. Hoping to leave this past behind, the company now has plans to shift its coastal operations inland. BON’s Kelda Yuen has more on Foxconn’s next move and what the decision means for the company and its workers.

Low cost was once the main "competitive advantage" of Chinese auto parts manufacturers,a result of the country's cheap labor costs. However,this export-oriented industry has suffered as the financial crisis dealt a body blow to its clients in North America and Europe. But now,there could be some light at the end of the tunnel.

BON's DUAN YAN visited a seminar in Beijing which hopes to bring together Canadian and Chinese auto parts makers in a mutually beneficial arrangement.

As we've reported here on Beyond the Headlines, Foxconn, a massive Taiwanese company that manufactures products for a number of the world's most well-known electronics companies - including HP, Apple, and Dell - has been rocked by a string of suicides in its Mainland China factories.

The company claims to be doing its best to keep its workers happy and healthy, but since our report last week, there have been another three confirmed suicide attempts, bringing the total for the month of May to seven, the most of any month so far this year.

Main Stories in today's BON News:

Overseas Chinese Celebrate
Tea Price Index
798 Art Festival
First Auto Wind Tunnel
Poll Position: Kaohsiung Film Festival
Net Check: China Flag at White House
Feature: 1955 Parade

Foxconn To Hire "Mature" Employees
Autistic Girl Abused By Parents
ATM Man Gets Out Of Jail
Shanghai Stuntman Detained
Tent Protest In Shanghai

Foxconn Jumper Hits Net
1000s Riot In Sichuan
Police Dogs Poisoned
Bloodless Stabber On Drugs
Man Drinks Formalin
Poor Quins Please Mother