Motorola (China) Electronics Ltd. announced in Beijing November 3 it is setting up the Motorola China Research and Development Institute, which will oversee operations of the 18 research and development centers scattered throughout Hong Kong and the rest of China.

P. Y. Lai, president of the company, said that by 2001 the institute will build seven more such centers in China and increase the number of its researchers from 650 to about 1,000.

Beijing Vice-Mayor Zhang Mao, Nobel Prize winner Dr. Chen Ning Yang were present at November 3's founding ceremony.

Prior to the announcement ceremony, Motorola (China) donated three million yuan to Project Hope, a national campaign to fund the education of young school dropouts in poor areas. The company has donated a total of 15 million yuan to Project Hope to open 27 primary schools, enabling over 5,000 children to return to school.

Also today, Motorola (China) donated 1.4 million yuan to Beijing University, Qinghua University and six other universities. The company has given 7.3 million yuan to Chinese higher education since 1992.

Motorola entered China in 1987, opening its representative office in Beijing. It now has seven joint ventures producing pagers, mobile phones and semi-conductor products. It has invested one billion US dollars in China. (Xinhua)