Asian economic and corporate news summary.

(From AFX Europe (Focus))

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - A summary of Asian economic and corporate news at 1000 GMT

JAPAN:

-Aug consumer confidence index falls to 47.6 from 48.6 in July

-Aug wholesale goods price index rises 3.4 pct yr-on-yr

-July domestic cellphone shipments down 5.6 pct year-on-year

-Aug beer, 'happoshu' shipments down, but '3rd-sector' drink shipments up

-Sumco H1 net profit 47.8 bln yen vs 8.6 bln

-Sumco announces dates for 36.99 bln-yen bid to take over Komatsu unit

-Fuji Photo Film enters healthcare market, sees 3 bln yen profit next

-Canon to recall over 1.8 mln copiers worldwide

-Hokuetsu, Nippon Paper to study tie-up

SOUTH KOREA:

-Shinhan says in contact with offshore investors but no concrete deal

-Samsung Electronics launches mobile phone for worldwide use

-POSCO to invest 250 mln usd in Mexico auto steel sheet plant

HONG …