■Electronics
Sony goes organic
Sony Corp, the world's second-largest consumer-electronics maker, said it will spend Japanese Yen 9 billion (US$76.4 million) to start initial production of small-sized displays that don't require backlighting. The Tokyo-based maker of the Clie hand-held computer will start making the panels, known as organic light emitting diode displays for mobile devices, early next year, the company said in an e-mailed statement.
■ Computers
Java boosted by HP, Dell
Dell Computer Corp and Hewlett-Packard Co agreed to load Sun Microsystems Inc's version of the universal programming language Java on upcoming models of their personal computers. It's a significant boost to Java, which Sun developed as an environment that can run programs regardless of the underlying operating system. In the past, most PCs shipped with Microsoft Corp's version, which was built into Windows and Sun claimed was altered to ensure that it did not threaten the software giant's operating system monopoly.
■ Fiscal policy
Snow clarifies dollar stance
US Secretary of the Treasury John Snow said he isn't concerned by the dollar's 19 percent decline against the euro over the past year and denied that puts him at odds with either US President George W. Bush or the eight-year "strong dollar" policy. The currency's drop has "been an orderly adjustment, we're going to monitor it, we're going to watch it, but I don't think it's any cause for any great alarm," Snow said in an interview on the Charlie Rose television programWednesday. Traders and investors sold the dollar last month after similar comments from Snow led them to conclude he had abandoned the traditional currency policy in order to boost the US economy.
■ E-commerce
EBay consolidates in China
EBay Inc, the largest Internet auctioneer, said it agreed to pay about US$150 million for the stake it doesn't already own in EachNet Inc to help accelerate growth in China. The cash transaction is expected to close in the third quarter, EBay spokesman Chris Donlay said. EachNet is China's largest Internet commerce site and employs about 150 workers in Shanghai, he said. EBay is expanding to take advantage of growth opportunities outside of the US, including those in China, one of the fastest-growing Internet markets. The San Jose, California-based company expanded into the world's most populous country last year when it bought a 33 percent interest in EachNet for US$30 million. EachNet has about 2 million users and averages 300,000 items for auction and sale on its site.
■ Computers
Weak demand hurts Hitachi
Hitachi Ltd, Japan's largest electronics maker, will lose US$330 million in its hard disk drive business this year because of weak personal computer demand. Hitachi, which bought International Business Machines Corp's hard disk drive business last year, will increase production of smaller drives used in hand-held PCs and digital cameras and reduce production of those for computers, Hitachi Senior Managing Director Isao Ono, said at a briefing in Tokyo. By shifting focus, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, the disk drive subsidiary formed in January, will be profitable in the year ending March 2005, said Ono, an executive in the computer operation. Hitachi is seeking to reduce its reliance on the personal computer market.
Agencies
NO-LIMITS PARTNERSHIP: ‘The bottom line’ is that if the US were to have a conflict with China or Russia it would likely open up a second front with the other, a US senator said Beijing and Moscow could cooperate in a conflict over Taiwan, the top US intelligence chief told the US Senate this week. “We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan and recognizing that this is a place where China definitely wants Russia to be working with them, and we see no reason why they wouldn’t,” US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told a US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on Thursday. US Senator Mike Rounds asked Haines about such a potential scenario. He also asked US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse
INSPIRING: Taiwan has been a model in the Asia-Pacific region with its democratic transition, free and fair elections and open society, the vice president-elect said Taiwan can play a leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region, vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) told a forum in Taipei yesterday, highlighting the nation’s resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges. “Not only can Taiwan help, but Taiwan can lead ... not only can Taiwan play a leadership role, but Taiwan’s leadership is important to the world,” Hsiao told the annual forum hosted by the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation think tank. Hsiao thanked Taiwan’s international friends for their long-term support, citing the example of US President Joe Biden last month signing into law a bill to provide aid to Taiwan,
China’s intrusive and territorial claims in the Indo-Pacific region are “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive,” new US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo said on Friday, adding that he would continue working with allies and partners to keep the area free and open. Paparo made the remarks at a change-of-command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, where he took over the command from Admiral John Aquilino. “Our world faces a complex problem set in the troubling actions of the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and its rapid buildup of forces. We must be ready to answer the PRC’s increasingly intrusive and
STATE OF THE NATION: The legislature should invite the president to deliver an address every year, the TPP said, adding that Lai should also have to answer legislators’ questions The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday proposed inviting president-elect William Lai (賴清德) to make a historic first state of the nation address at the legislature following his inauguration on May 20. Lai is expected to face many domestic and international challenges, and should clarify his intended policies with the public’s representatives, KMT caucus secretary-general Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said when making the proposal at a meeting of the legislature’s Procedure Committee. The committee voted to add the item to the agenda for Friday, along with another similar proposal put forward by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The invitation is in line with Article 15-2