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Taiwan's premier Wu Den-yih says he has no timetable set
for relaxing ban on chipmaking and LCD investment to China He was commenting on
press reports claiming the government has set a timetable for lifting
restrictions on setting up China operations by the island's chipmakers and LCD
panel makers.
The IT industry had hoped he would let them invest in
China early next year. However Wu said there was no timetable for lifting the
existing ban on Taiwan makers from investing in advanced wafer fabs and LCD
plants of any generations in China. But he did promise that the government will conduct a
blanket evaluation of its cross-strait investment policy.
A Chinese-language Economic Daily News report quoted
economics minister Shih Yen-shiang as confirming that the investment ban on
wafer and LCD fabs could be lifted by the end of the year. Taiwanese chipmakers would given permission to operate
12-inch fabs and LCD panel makers 6G and 8G plants in China.
Currently Taiwan only allows its chipmakers to operate
8-inch fabs in China for production at 0.18-micron or above processes. LCD panel makers are banned from building any roduction
plants in China, but they are allowed to run LCD module (LCM) operations.