■ China's economy
GDP to grow at 8.9 percent
China's economy is expected to grow 8.9 percent this year, slowing from 9.9 percent last year, the central bank's research department said in a report published yesterday. Annual growth in China's GDP will gradually slow from 9.2 percent in the first quarter of this year to 9 percent in the second quarter, 8.9 percent in the third and 8.7 percent in the fourth quarter, said the report, carried by the state-run newspaper China Securities Journal. The consumer price index, China's main gauge of inflation, is expected to be at about 2 percent this year, it said. China's economy expanded by 10.1 percent in 2004 but growth has been gradually slowing as the government attempts to rein in excess investment in real-estate projects and some industries, such as steel and cement.
■ Communications
KDDI to offer 3D maps
Japanese mobile operator KDDI unveiled plans yesterday to let users find their way to shops and restaurants by looking at 3-D satellite images on their cellphones. The service, to be launched at the end of next month, is an updated version of its already popular "EZ Navi-Walk" programming which uses the satellite Global Positioning System (GPS) and offers vocal guidance. The new version, equipped with a compression technology so as not to overload the system, offers three-dimensional images that show surrounding buildings and sidestreets or directions once one is inside a building. The feature is of particular use at intersections where two-dimensional graphics often result in errors. A cellphone user enters in a postal address, a telephone number or, in the case of public buildings such as a restaurant, business or store, the name.
■ Software
Microsoft sues in S Korea
Microsoft Corp filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging a set of punitive measures that South Korea's antitrust regulators imposed on the US software company for its alleged unfair business practices. The suit, filed with the Seoul High Court, has been widely expected as Microsoft said after the December ruling by the Fair Trade Commission that it would take the case to court. "Microsoft continues to believe that its actions are consistent with Korean law and have benefited Korean consumers and the Korean technology industry," the company said in a statement announcing its appeal. The ruling, which was finalized last month, said that Microsoft's practice of tying certain software to Windows was an abuse of its dominant position in the market.
■ Media
Bertelsmann plans disposal
German media giant Bertelsmann is making preparations to sell its music company holdings including a 50 percent stake in Sony BMG, the world's second-largest music group, a report said yesterday. The London-based Financial Times cited unnamed people briefed on the plans as saying the company has arranged for investment banks to prepare the disposals. It said the sale, worth an estimated 2 billion euros (US$2.4 billion), would help Bertelsmann fund a buy-back of all or most of the 25 percent stake held by Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL), its only outside investor. As well as the stake in Sony BMG -- the New York-based joint venture of Bertelsmann and Japan's Sony -- the German group is considering selling its wholly-owned BMG Music Publishing business, the FT said.
Taiwan’s Lee Chia-hao (李佳豪) on Sunday won a silver medal at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, England, a career best. Lee, 25, took silver in the final of the men’s singles against world No. 1 Shi Yuqi (石宇奇) of China, who won 21-17, 21-19 in a tough match that lasted 51 minutes. After the match, the Taiwanese player, who ranks No. 22 in the world, said it felt unreal to be challenging an opponent of Shi’s caliber. “I had to be in peak form, and constantly switch my rhythm and tactics in order to score points effectively,” he said. Lee got
EMBRACING TAIWAN: US lawmakers have introduced an act aiming to replace the use of ‘Chinese Taipei’ with ‘Taiwan’ across all Washington’s federal agencies A group of US House of Representatives lawmakers has introduced legislation to replace the term “Chinese Taipei” with “Taiwan” across all federal agencies. US Representative Byron Donalds announced the introduction of the “America supports Taiwan act,” which would mandate federal agencies adopt “Taiwan” in place of “Chinese Taipei,” a news release on his page on the US House of Representatives’ Web site said. US representatives Mike Collins, Barry Moore and Tom Tiffany are cosponsors of the legislation, US political newspaper The Hill reported yesterday. “The legislation is a push to normalize the position of Taiwan as an autonomous country, although the official US
CHANGE OF TONE: G7 foreign ministers dropped past reassurances that there is no change in the position of the G7 members on Taiwan, including ‘one China’ policies G7 foreign ministers on Friday took a tough stance on China, stepping up their language on Taiwan and omitting some conciliatory references from past statements, including to “one China” policies. A statement by ministers meeting in Canada mirrored last month’s Japan-US statement in condemning “coercion” toward Taiwan. Compared with a G7 foreign ministers’ statement in November last year, the statement added members’ concerns over China’s nuclear buildup, although it omitted references to their concerns about Beijing’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. Also missing were references stressing the desire for “constructive and stable relations with China” and
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
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