SHANGHAI

Auto sales strong

General Motors and Volkswagen AG are set to post strong sales from ventures with a Shanghai-based partner in 2004, riding continued strong demand in the world's fastest-growing car market.

Volkswagen, the market leader, will see vehicle sales at its venture in China's richest city rise 16 per cent to 460,000 this year from 396,000 last year, Xiao Guopu, vice-president of Volkswagen's partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC), said last week. GM will post a 39.2 per cent jump in 2004 sales from its venture with the same partner, SAIC, to 280,000 from 201,188.

MADRID

Samsung shifts production

Samsung Electronics said last week it is closing a British plant and transferring production from a Spanish plant to Slovakia and China. In a statement released in Barcelona, the company said the British plant that will be closed is at Wynyard, northeastern England. "Samsung Electronics will change its productive structure in Europe to maintain its position among world leaders in the sector," Samsung said.

BEIJING

Dawning's server recognized

Dawning Information Industrial Co Ltd last week won an award from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences because of its flagship Dawning 4000L server product.

The server is one of a series of Dawning 4000 products and is based on the Linux operation system. Dawning 4000L has been widely applied in industrial sectors such as oil exploration, telecommunications and biology technology development.

Marriott returns to Top 100

US-based Marriott International Inc has been named as one of the 100 best companies to work for by Fortune magazine in its January 12 issue.

Marriott International has made the list every year since 1997. It was ranked the second among companies with more than 100,000 employees. It is also the only US-based hotel management group ranked into the 100-strong list.

Infineon sets up design centre

Germany-based Infineon Technologies announced last week the establishment of its IC (integrated circuit) design centre and new subsidiary in China's ancient northwestern city of Xi'an.

Infineon Technologies Xi'an Co Ltd is planning to train 1,000 IC engineers by 2007 and make the centre one of its biggest research and development centres in the world. "The opening of our Xi'an IC designer centre is a testimony of our increased investment and long-term commitment to our China operation," said Loh Kin Wah, president of Infineon Technologies Asia-Pacific.

(Business Weekly 01/20/2004 page1)