SHANGHAI: US chip giant Intel announced the expansion of its packaging and testing base in southwestern China to boost local supply chain efficiency and better serve Chinese clients.
With a capital increase of US$300mil, the added capacity at its base in Chengdu, Sichuan province, will primarily focus on packaging and testing services for server chips to meet Chinese clients’ demand for customised packaging solutions.
A new customer solutions centre will also be established to enhance the efficiency of the local supply chain and increase support for Chinese customers, the company said in an announcement.
China’s persistent pursuit of high-quality development and high-level opening-up serves as the foundation and driving force for Intel’s long-term development in the Chinese market.
Intel’s strategy of being rooted in China and serving its customers remains unchanged, according to Wang Rui, senior vice-president and chairman of Intel China.
The Chengdu base that came into operation in 2003, is one of Intel’s largest chip packaging and testing centres globally.
Amid the challenging global economic recovery, preserving the resilience and stability of global industrial and supply chains is crucial for fostering growth.
Intel has been under considerable revenue pressure in the global market in recent years.
Bai Ming, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under Commerce Ministry, said that Intel aspires to leverage the growth of the huge Chinese market to overcome business challenges and enhance its overall performance.
Intel has been in China for nearly four decades, establishing its first representative office in Beijing in 1985.
China has become the regional market where Intel has the largest investment and the most comprehensive organisation outside the United States.
Nearly a quarter of Intel’s global revenue of over US$50bil comes from the Chinese market.
The fresh move once again demonstrates the importance of the Chinese market to global chip players.
Last year, executives of several chip giants visited China, seeking closer collaboration with the world’s largest semiconductor market. — China Daily/ANN