Samsung tweaks operations in virus-hit Xi'an

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said its chip plant in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, is still "running" and it has "temporarily adjusted" operations amid a COVID-19-related lockdown in the city.

"This decision was made in accordance with our commitment to protecting the health and safety of our employees and partners, which remains our top priority," the company said in a statement.

"We will also take all necessary measures, including leveraging our global manufacturing network, to ensure that our customers are not affected," it said.

Samsung is currently the world's leading manufacturer of NAND flash memory chips used for data storage in data centers, smartphones and tech gadgets.

It has two production lines in Xi'an making advanced NAND flash products, which account for 42.5 percent of its total NAND flash memory chip production capacity and 15.3 percent of the overall global output capacity, according to analysis provider TrendForce.

In 2019, Samsung invested an additional $8 billion in the second phase of its chip plant producing advanced flash memory chips in Xi'an. The first phase of Samsung's plant in the Xi'an Hi-Tech Industries Development Zone went into operation in May 2014, with a total investment of $10 billion.

fanfeifei@chinadaily.com.cn