Changchun Firm Displays Technology EdgeThe capital city of Northeast China's Jilin Province is one step closer to becoming a competitive player in the high-technology electronic sector, according to Chinadaily.China's first TFT-LCD (thin film transistor - liquid crystal display) production line was put into full operation recently by Jilin Caijing Digital High-tech Display Co, a joint venture between the mainland and Hong Kong. With a total investment of 5.5 billion yuan (US$663 million), it is one of only 35 large-screen TFT production lines in the world, said Xu Zhenqiang, general manager of Caijing. After a three-month trial, output quality and reliability reached the standards of Toshiba, the world's top TFT-LCD maker. Compared to the traditional colour tubes, TFT-LCD, with smaller sized charachters, wastes less power, has a lower operating voltage, lower electromagnetic pollution and is radiation free. The displays are used for mobile phones, positioning and guiding systems for vehicles, mini-VCD (video compact disk) and DVD (digital video disk) players and notebook computers. The few countries which can produce this kind of display include Japan, the United States, and South Korea. "Based on our electronic component manufacturing strength, we are confident to contend for domestic and international market shares with world famous companies," Xu said. Caijing, in co-operation with Toshiba and IBM, currently has production capability of 435,000 units, and annual sales income is expected to reach 1.37 billion yuan (US$165 million), an after-tax profit of 229 million yuan (US$27.6 million), Xu said. Most Caijing products will be exported to Japan, the United States, and South Korea. At present, the company has clinched selling contracts valued at 4.8 billion yuan (US$578 million) from both domestic and foreign buyers. Construction of the production line began in September 1998. A 18,000-square-metre, dust-free workshop was built to fulfil the spotless environment TFT-LCD production needs. Japanese experts rated the Caijing workshop at advanced world-class level, Xu said. "According to international practice, this large-scale project should be accomplished in two or three years, while we finished construction in only 14 months," he said. Support from the Changchun Economic Technological Development Zone, one of China's top six development zones in terms of annual gross domestic product, is an important element to ensure Caijing stays on schedule, Xu said. Before construction, the zone built a 700-metre road for transportation of construction materials and equipment. The zone helped to resolve heat-supply in winter, saving Caijing at least 1 million yuan (US$120,000). |
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