Toshiba Corporation is to start making portable PCs in China from next April at a new plant in Shanghai. Toshiba Computer Systems (Shanghai) Co Ltd is being set up this month as an 80:20 joint venture between Toshiba and Shanghai Jinqiao Export Processing Zone Development Co Ltd. The plant will have an initial production capacity of 110,000 notebook PCs a year, but this will be boosted to 370,000 within a few years a statement said. Toshiba estimates that the China market will grow from sales of 260,000 notebooks this year to 390,000 next year and 1.3 million by 2004. It plans on the new plant helping it to maintain its lead in the Chinese market where it currently has a 20% share. Toshiba’s other PC plants are in Japan, the US and Germany.
