China's MII to Announce Own Digital TV Standards
in 2004
Xi Guohua, head of China's powerful Ministry of Information
Industry, told a visiting Taiwan delegation that China
would not follow the lead of the US or Europe for digital
TV standards, but would instead announce its own digital
TV standards in 2004. The Ministry of Information Industry
plays a lead role in defining technology standards in
China's domestic market.
Xi made the revelation in a meeting with a business delegation
of Taiwan's Federation of Computer Industry Manufacturers
headed by Huang Chung-jen and Liu Ming-jen. The Federation
of Computer Industry Manufacturers is an alliance of Taiwan
makers who have played a role in lobbying the Taiwan government,
and now increasingly, the Chinese government to forge
policies which serve Taiwan computer makers. The delegation
was visiting in Beijing to attend a technology seminar
which included both Chinese and Taiwan participants.
According to Xi, after studying both American and European
digital TV standards, the ministry had come to the conclusion
that neither supported the special needs of the Chinese
television market. For this reason, China would develop
its own digital TV standards, and eventually, all televisions
sold in the Chinese market would have to adopt this standard.
Xi said that the new Chinese standard would be largely
based on the European standard for satellite and cable
transmission, and would add some special technical specifications
specially developed for the Chinese market.
At the meeting, Xi asked that Taiwan play a role in the
development of Linux
in China, and for Asia. He said that the recent outbreak
of viruses on the Microsoft Windows platform underscored
the need for an alternative platform which had public
source code, and which Asian communities could develop
together. Xi said that because Microsoft controlled the
APIs (application programs interface) for Windows, and
refused to publicize the source code, users depended on
Microsoft for virus patches.
Although Microsoft does not publish the source code for
Windows, it has allowed some governments, including the
Chinese government, to view its source code under its
Shared Source initiative.
Most Chinese and Taiwan makers believe that the next
wave of growth in information technology will come from
digital television. Major Chinese makers including TCL,
Haier and Legend Computers have been forming strategic
alliances in preparation. So far, Taiwan makers have not
yet been involved in these alliances, and now they hope
to play a role in its development for the Chinese market.
Before you go, did you like this article?
If so, you can receive a free email newsletter version
each weekday. Sign up using the China Business Express
form on this page.
