Taiwan's export orders in April posted their worst showing in more than two years, with big falls from Japan and China flagging softening demand for the island's electronic gadgets. Orders in April fell 4 percent from a year earlier, the economic ministry said, trailing a Reuters poll for a 1.96 percent contraction. April's orders underperformed 1.3 percent growth in March. Orders from its two biggest markets were mixed. China orders in April fell 10.3 percent from a year earlier but was offset by a 14 percent rise in U.S. orders. "Electronics products posted their first decline in 21 months," said Lin Lee Jen, director of the department of statistics. "It's because of poor demand for Chinese handheld chip devices and Japanese flat panel TVs." Looking into 2015, some analysts were conservative. "It looks like no particular strength in export orders," said analyst Anita Hsu with Masterlink Securities in Taipei, adding there was still no sign of improvement in orders through the year though the United States remained a bright spot. Taiwan's export orders are a leading indicator of demand for Asia's exports and for hi-tech gadgets, and typically lead actual exports by two to three months. China has approved this week close to 250 billion yuan ($40.3 billion) of railway and subway projects as Beijing ramps up efforts to support growth amid a wider slowdown in the world's second-largest economy. Taiwan's exports sharply contracted in April, falling 11.7 percent from a year earlier, hit by a slide in exports to China and Europe, and slowing demand for its technology exports. The government warned earlier that it would be difficult for May exports to grow year on year, and it would be cutting export estimates for the second quarter. Many orders are farmed out to Taiwanese manufacturing plants located in China, from where the gadgets are then exported to final markets in the United States and Europe. China's exports for March contracted a shocking 15 percent from a year earlier. Concerns have been mounting that weakening demand, exacerbated by the traditional off peak season of the first quarter, would sharply crimp Taiwan's export engine amid macroeconomic uncertainties in China and Europe. Analysts remain cautiously optimistic about demand going forward. Last year, Taiwan's export orders and technology shipments hit record annual levels primarily boosted by Apple Inc's newest smartphones. (Reuters)