(Kyodo) _ Hitachi Chemical Co. said Thursday it aims to begin making photosensitive dry film used to fabricate the circuits of printed wiring boards, parts for electronics devices, in Suzhou, China, next February.

The project calls for building a plant with annual output capacity of 50 million square meters at a cost of some 3 billion yen as China has become the world's largest market for such film, Hitachi Chemical said.

Demand for the product is strong in China as a growing number of Japanese, South Korean and Taiwanese printed wiring board makers have been shifting production there, while local manufacturers are also increasing output, it said.

The company forecasts further sales growth in view of positive prospects for the electronics industry particularly in the country's eastern and northern regions.

Hitachi Chemical therefore has decided to set up a new production facility in addition to the existing semiconductor sealant materials factory run by Hitachi Chemical (Suzhou) Co., it said.

Hitachi Chemical's film output in China will eventually be raised to 150 million sq. meters a year with a view to capturing the top market share in China, according to the company.

The company at present makes the film in Japan, Dongguan in China and Johor in Malaysia.