China’s technology seen gaining on Korea

Chinese technology is rapidly catching up to that of Korea. The Korea Industrial Technology Foundation, which is part of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, said yesterday that China’s technology level in the cellular phone industry would be comparable to Korea’s in two years. It said it will take about eight years for China to catch up with Korea in the thin film transistor-liquid crystal display industry, three years in electro luminescence, five years in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry, and seven to 13 years in the petrochemical industry. “The Chinese government has actively invested in foreign companies through joint ventures and acquisitions in order to pull up its technology level,” a foundation official said. The technology level of mobile phones, one of Korea’s major export products, has greatly improved in China because the government attracted foreign workers and companies to build production lines in the country. The foundation forecast that some of the manufacturing techniques of Chinese mobile phones would be comparable to those of Korean ones in two years, and the general techniques and price would be more competitive than for Korean phones in six years. The foundation noted that there is no TFT-LCD manufacturer in China now, but two companies are preparing to build state-of-the-art manufacturing lines. by Chang Se-jeong