China catching Korea, Japan in technology, says report

LONDON -- China is expected to match Korea in consumer electronics, communications equipment and semiconductors by 2010, according to a Digital Chosun report that gave a questionnaire survey conducted by the Korea Development Bank (KDB) as its source.

The bank had surveyed 497 of its major clients on the status of China, Korea and Japan across a variety of industry sectors, the report said. At present, China's technical level is assessed by the KDB to be 1.8 years behind Korea in the consumer electronics sector, 2.3 years in communications equipment and 2.5 years in computer technology.

Korea is now on the par with Japan in semiconductors and expected to catch up with Japan in 2007 in computers and consumer electronics, according to the survey.

And by 2010, Korea is expected to have outstripped Japan in semiconductor technology and be on the par with Japan in communications equipment and automobiles, the report said.