Sources from the Japanese Nikkei News show the Japanese brewery Kirin has recently decided to raise its shareholding in the joint venture in Guangdong with President Group of Taiwan from 60% to 100%. Kirin will buy out the shares from President for 4.8 billion Japanese yen. It will then invest 6.6 billion yen building a new plant in the suburbs of Zhuhai in 2007. For fear that its latest technologies, equipment and operating methods might leak from the new plant, Kirin has decided to independently run the new plant, which will expectedly have an average production capacity three times that of its original capacity. Kirin also plans to expand its shareholding in Daxue Beer Corporation in Dalian and explore the possibility of opening new plants around Shanghai.

[Origin: Commercial Counselor's Office in Osaka]

Editor: Wing