CCTV.com: China has begun building its first plasma display panel production factory in the southwestern province of Sichuan. The total investment is more than two billion US dollars. The new factory promises to end the country’s long dependence on importing plasma displays. It’s also likely to impact on TV prices.
This factory in Mianyang city will start manufacturing plasma display panels from next July. Producing six million PDPs a year will set the newcomer to a rapid fourth in the business，behind Panasonic, LG and Samsung.
Wu Yingjian, deputy GM of Sichuan Changhong Electric Co., said “With our mastering of PDP production ability, plasma TVs made in China will be more competitive in the world market.”
Wang Ning, deputy director of China Electronic Chamber of Commerce, said “The final production of the factory will press the foreign TV makers to lower their prices, consumers will benefit from it.”
The plasma display panel accounts for more than seventy percent of the total cost of a flat-screen TV. Until now，no Chinese manufacturer has been able to produce this costly component， allowing foreign TV makers to monopolize the market. This new factory is likely to change the situation，with the benefits being passed on to consumers.
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