Four domestic chip packagers and testers, including Siliconware Precision Industries Co Ltd (SPIL, 矽品精密), yesterday obtained the government’s approval to invest an aggregate US$86.7 million in their Chinese operations.
The latest approval came more than a month before the swearing-in on May 20 of president-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who favors further opening trade ties with China.
SPIL, the nation’s second-largest chip tester and packager, plans to invest US$50 million, the biggest among the four investment projects, in its Chinese unit in Suzhou, China, to provide low-end packaging and testing service for customers.
King Yuan Electronics Co Ltd (京元電子), Lingsen Precision Industries Ltd (菱生精密) and Sigurd Microelectronics Corp (矽格) also received the government’s green light to spend US$20 million, US$10 million and US$6.7 million respectively to expand their units in China.
The government approved the investment plans as the companies had promised to invest more at home, facilitate technology transfer as well as adjust its work force, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement following a cross-panel meeting.
In mid-February, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc (日月光), the world’s biggest chip packager, received the commission’s approval to invest US$30 million in a Chinese factory in Shanghai.
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