HP to expand in China

US computer maker Hewlett Packard (HP) on yesterday announced wide-ranging plans to expand in China, with a string of research centres and manufacturing facilities in several Chinese cities.

By the end of this year, the company will open a new centre in Beijing dedicated to "networking and information analytics research", increasing the number of HP's research bases in China to three, it said in a statement.

It will add new manufacturing facilities in Shanghai and establish a China regional headquarters there for the Personal Systems Group, an HP division, the statement said.

The company will also collaborate with major cities, including Shanghai, the northern port city of Tianjin and Chongqing in the southwest, to work on infrastructure, energy and healthcare issues, it said.

"China's vibrant economy, explosive growth in social and mobile connectivity, and strong commitment to innovation present tremendous opportunities for HP," CEO Leo Apotheker said in the statement. No financial details of the expansion plans were disclosed. AFP