■ Semiconductor
Chipmakers boost output
Samsung Electronics Co and Hynix Semiconductor Inc have boosted production of faster computer memory chips, the Maeil Business Newspaper reported, citing unidentified officials at the South Korean companies. Production of 256-megabit double-data-rate dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips operating at a speed of 400 megahertz accounted for more than 80 percent of their DRAM production, replacing those operating at 266 megahertz and 333 megahertz as the benchmark, the newspaper said. The upgrade may pave the way for mass production of the so- called DDR2 chip, which is faster than the 400 megahertz chip, next year, the newspaper said.
■ Consumer Debt
S Korean economy `mired'
Uncertainties caused by a mountain of household debt and the ailing credit card industry are seriously impeding South Korea's economic recovery despite robust exports, data showed Monday. Industrial output growth in November slowed to 4.7 percent compared with a year earlier from the 7.4 percent rate recorded in October, with the figures hit by serious falls in domestic consumption and investment. Month-on-month, seasonally-adjusted industrial output suffered a 0.3 percent contraction in November, reversing a 2.4 percent gain a month earlier, the National Statistical Office (NSO) said Monday. "Consumption and investment are still mired in a slump due to weak consumer and corporate sentiment," the NSO said. "Still, exports continued their solid growth, offsetting lackluster domestic consumption."
■ Electronics
Sharp makes more LCD-TVs
Japanese high-tech firm Sharp Corp will invest ?90 billion (US$841 million) to boost production of large liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in a bid to take on its South Korean rivals, a report said yesterday. The investment will enable Sharp to triple production capacity at a new domestic plant, scheduled to go on line in January, to 360,000 units of 30-inch LCD-TVs each month, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said. A company spokesman could not be reached for confirmation due to the New Year holidays. According to a US research firm, Sharp had a 13.4 percent share of the global LCD market last year, tying for second place with South Korea's LG Philips LCD Co. With the latest investment, the Japanese firm aims to take on South Korea's Samsung Electronics, the top player in the global LCD market with a 15.1 percent share.
CLOSURES: Several forest recreation areas have been closed as a precaution, while some ferry and flight services have been suspended or rescheduled A land warning for Tropical Storm Danas was issued last night at 8:30pm, as the storm’s outer bands began bringing heavy rain to southeastern regions, including Hualien and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島), according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). As of 9:15pm, the storm was approximately 330km west-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, moving north-northeast at 10-20kph, the CWA reported. A sea warning had already been issued at 8:30am yesterday. The storm had maximum sustained winds near its center of 83kph, with gusts of up to 108kph, according to the CWA. As of 9:30pm last night, Kaohsiung, Tainan,
POWERFUL DETERRENT: Precision fire and dispersed deployment of units would allow Taiwanese artillery to inflict heavy casualties in an invasion, a researcher said The nation’s military has boosted its self-defense capability with the establishment of a new company equipped with the US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The company, part of the army’s 58th Artillery Command, is Taiwan’s first HIMARS unit. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄), who presided over the formation ceremony in Taichung on Friday, called the unit a significant addition to the nation’s defensive strength, saying it would help deter adversaries from starting a war. The unit is made up of top-performing soldiers who received training in the US, according to the Ministry of National Defense. The HIMARS can be equipped with
STRONG WINDS: Without the Central Mountain Range as a shield, people should be ready for high-speed winds, CWA weather forecaster Liu Yu-chi said Danas was yesterday upgraded to a typhoon and could grow stronger as it moves closely along the nation’s west coastline, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Hsinchu and Chiayi cities, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Hsinchu, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Nantou, Chiayi, Penghu and Pingtung counties have canceled work and school today. Work and school in Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan, and Yilan, Taitung, Hualien, Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties would continue as usual, although offices and schools would be closed in Taoyuan’s Luju (蘆竹), Dayuan (大園), Guangyin (觀音) and Sinwu (新屋) districts. As of 5pm yesterday, the typhoon’s
UNILATERAL: The move from China’s aviation authority comes despite a previous 2015 agreement that any changes to flight paths would be done by consensus The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday slammed Beijing for arbitrarily opening the M503 flight route’s W121 connecting path, saying that such unilateral conduct disrespected the consensus between both sides and could destabilize the Taiwan Strait and the wider region. The condemnation came after the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) earlier yesterday announced it “has activated the W121 connecting path of the M503 flight route,” meaning that west-to-east flights are now permitted along the path. The newly activated west-to-east route is intended to “alleviate the pressure caused by the increase of flights,” China’s state-run Xinhua news agency quoted China’s Taiwan Affairs Office
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