The world’s largest contract maker of electronics products, including the iPod, lifted its investment in China to more than US$1 billion over the weekend, ensuring users will continue to see low-cost IT products rolling out of the country in coming years.Hon Hai Precision Industry on Saturday unveiled seven new China investment plans that will raise the total value of its China investments to $1.11 billion.The company already owns the largest IT exporter in China, Hong Fujin Precision Industry, which suffered intense media scrutiny earlier this year due to allegations it mistreated workers at an iPod factory. Apple Computer investigated the claims but found little wrong at the site. Although users may not like some of the facts that surfaced about Hon Hai and its Chinese subsidiary, such as that it pays workers about $50 per month to assemble the digital music players, its continuing investment in China is an important factor in continuing to keep the cost of IT products low for users. And for many of the workers at the iPod factory, mainly young women from China’s poorer rural areas, a monthly salary of $50 plus room and board is more than they can earn at home. Hon Hai said it has actually spent $887.6 million of the investment total so far, while planning for the rest of the funds has already been finalized. Hong Fujin exported $14.47 billion worth of IT products from China last year, making it number one in that category, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.-Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service (Taipei Bureau)Related Links: Why Apple Isn’t Biting Into China Apple Looks Into iPod China Sweatshop Report Apple Finds Few Violations at Chinese iPod FactoryCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP What goes well with Viña Concha y Toro wines? Meat, fish, poultry, and SAP Viña Concha y Toro, a wine producer that distributes to more than 140 countries worldwide, paired its operation with the SAP Business Technology Platform to enhance its operation and product. By Tom Caldecott, SAP Contributor Dec 04, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Azul How to maximize ROI by choosing the right Java partner for your organization Choosing the right Java provider is a critical decision that can have a significant impact on your organization’s success. By asking the right questions and considering the total cost of ownership, you can ensure that you choose the best Java p By Scott Sellers Dec 04, 2023 5 mins Application Management brandpost Sponsored by DataStax Ask yourself: How can genAI put your content to work? Generative AI applications can readily be built against the documents, emails, meeting transcripts, and other content that knowledge workers produce as a matter of course. By Bryan Kirschner Dec 04, 2023 5 mins Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence feature The CIO’s new role: Orchestrator-in-chief CIOs have unique insight into everything that happens in a company. Some are using that insight to take on a more strategic role. By Minda Zetlin Dec 04, 2023 12 mins CIO C-Suite Business IT Alignment Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe