■The Koreas
Economic discussions start
North and South Korean officials opened economic talks in the communist state's capital yesterday as inter-Korean exchanges continue apace despite a brewing dispute over North Korea's nuclear arms program. A 35-member South Korean mission led by Vice Finance Minister Yoon Jin-shik flew to Pyongyang via China on Wednesday for four-day talks on economic projects, including an industrial park in the North for manufacturers from the South. The proposed complex at the border city of Kaesong is one of many projects the two Koreas agreed to in 2000 but have only started to implement since ties warmed up in August. The industrial park at Kaesong, an ancient Korean capital and commercial city about 50km north of Seoul, would marry South Korean capital and technology with the North's cheap labor to help revive North Korea's decrepit economy.
■ Mobile phones
DoCoMo's profit plunges
NTT DoCoMo Inc, Japan's largest mobile-phone company, said its fiscal first-half profit plunged 95 percent as it took charges to write down the value of AT&T Wireless Services Inc and other overseas investments. Tokyo-based DoCoMo posted group net income of ?4.2 billion (US$35 million), or ?83.68 a share, for the six months ended Sept. 30, compared with ?89.2 billion, or ?1,777.74, a year ago, the company said in a statement to the Tokyo Stock Exchange. First half sales rose 4.3 percent to ?2.40 trillion. DoCoMo spent ?1.8 trillion between December 1999 and February 2001 buying minority stakes in mobile-phone operators, including Hutchison 3G UK Holdings and AT&T Wireless Services.
■ Computers
Regional sales increase
Sales of personal computers in the Asia Pacific region increased nearly 10 percent to 5.6 million in the third quarter to September from a year earlier, technology research firm Gartner said yesterday. The 9.6 percent surge in PC demand, which came in spite of widespread worries over the global economy, was driven mostly by China which accounted for 46 percent of total sales, US-based Gartner said in a report. "Demand in the home market was steady due to the seasonal holiday week in China, as well as in countries where vendors offered aggressive promotions during computer exhibitions," it said. Despite the rise in third quarter PC shipments, Gartner said the volatile external environment including the prospect of a military conflict in the Middle East would keep consumers at bay.
■ Processors
AMD may cut jobs
Advanced Micro Devices Inc, Intel Corp's biggest rival in personal-computer processors, will detail plans to reduce its workforce at an analyst conference tomorrow. The chipmaker, which last month announced plans to eliminate US$350 million a year in operating expenses, will discuss the job cuts as it gives more details about how it intends to achieve that goal, spokesman Drew Prairie said. "As we target a reduction in our expenses, it will cause us to reduce our workforce," said Prairie. AMD sales have fallen for the past six quarters from year-earlier periods as corporations and consumers have curbed purchases of PCs. Intel used the slump to steal market share, watching it grow to 87 percent in the third quarter from 83 percent in the previous quarter.
Agencies
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
BULLY TACTICS: Beijing has continued its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace even as Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan being part of the Chinese family and nation China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day. Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source