■ Semiconductors
STMicro eyes China
STMicroelectronics NV, Europe's biggest chipmaker, may build a chip plant in China that would start production by 2005 to tap growing demand in Asia, the DigiTimes Web site reported, citing Chairman Pasquale Pistorio. The Geneva-based company would build or buy a plant that makes chips from 8-inch instead of 12-inch silicon wafers because China isn't ready for an investment in the latest technology, the report said, citing Pistorio. An investment in chipmaking in China would add to STMicroelectronics' existing chip-design and semiconductor assembly operations in the world's most populous nation, the report said.
■ Internet
NEC, seven others to link
NEC Corp's Biglobe, Fujitsu Ltd's Nifty Corp and six other Japanese Internet-service providers agreed to form an alliance to offer Internet-based phone services, the Mainichi newspaper reported. The companies, including Sony Corp's So-net and two Internet services operated by Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp, will let their customers call each other for free over the network to compete against a similar service offered by Softbank Corp's Yahoo BB high-speed Internet service, the report said, without citing anyone. The eight companies have separately begun their own services, the report said. They agreed yesterday to form a consortium and meet on a regular basis to build a communication system to respond to trouble including disruption of its voice service, the report said.
■ US economy
Consumer confidence fell
US consumer confidence fell this month to the lowest in more than a decade as heightened concern about an Iraq war and soaring energy bills threaten to slow spending and the economy. "The overhang of the war is clearly a damper on the economy," Treasury Secretary John Snow said after a speech in Columbus, Ohio. "When people are nervous they don't spend as much." The University of Michigan's index of sentiment fell to 75, the lowest since October 1992, when the economy had trouble creating jobs, from 79.9 in February. Confidence has declined every month this year and consumer demand is beginning to wane. The university's current conditions index, which reflects Americans' perception of their finances and whether it's a good time to make major purchases, fell to 87.1 from 95.4 in February. The latest reading also was the lowest since October 1992.
■ Breweries
Asahi goes to Beijing
Asahi Breweries Ltd, Japan's biggest brewer, will invest ?5 billion (US$42 million) to build a plant in Beijing to produce its best-selling Super Dry beer and other products sold under local brands, the Nihon Keizai newspaper reported. Asahi's new plant, the sixth the company will operate in China through joint ventures, will begin operations next year, the paper said, without citing anyone. The plant will have annual production capacity of 100,000kl and make beer in bottles, cans and barrels, the report said. Asahi's output from Chinese plants totaled 510,000kl last year, the report said. Asahi expects operating profit, or sales minus the cost of goods sold, to rise 5.3 percent to ?73 billion this year helped by increasing sales of low-malt products, the brewer said last month.
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
SELF-DETERMINATION: German lawmakers add earth to an art installation in front of the Reichstag to show that the face of a nation lies with its people, Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan’s future should be decided by Taiwanese, German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group chairman Till Steffen said yesterday, while giving former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) a tour of the German parliament building. Tsai arrived in Berlin on Sunday and the following day delivered a keynote speech at the Berlin Freedom Conference titled “Threats facing democracies: Taiwan’s experience defending freedom.” Tsai yesterday attended a tea gathering at the Bundestag, joined by former friendship group chairman of 15 years Klaus-Peter Willsch, German defense affairs specialist Roderich Kiesewetter and Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth Parliamentary State Secretary Michael Brand. Noting that the
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
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