Tokyo--Toshiba Corporation today announced the start of operations at Toshiba Information Equipment (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd., the company's new portable PC manufacturing facility in China.

Established in June 2002, Toshiba Information Equipment (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. is expected to manufacture 750,000 portable PCs in fiscal year 2003, and to boost its annual capacity into the 2-million-unit range in future. The company will also extend its activities to embrace development and design and technical support.

The opening of the new Chinese facility puts in place the last element of Toshiba's global manufacturing and logistics system for portable PCs. Within this, Ome Complex in Tokyo is positioned as the core facility, the main development center for products and manufacturing technology, and for procurement, while facilities in China the Philippines, the U.S. and Germany handle production.

This integrated global organization will support Toshiba in its strategy of delivering competitive, differentiated products to market ahead of its competitors.

Outlines of New Factory in China