Taiwan's stock market opened in the red on Friday, a mild negative for investors but far from a sell-off.

• The main Taipei index slipped at the open, down a fraction of a percent.
• Early trading volume was light, suggesting caution rather than panic.
• The dip comes even as Taiwan's July export orders rose on strong AI demand.
• Tension with China is in the background, with most Taiwanese seeing Chinese coast guard patrols as hostile.
• A separate warning is circulating that a shortage of clean power could scare off AI data center investment.

Outlook: With AI orders still strong, the soft open looks more like a pause than a turn.