MOTOROLA (China) Electronics Co Ltd. on November 3 announced the establishment of the Motorola China Research and Development Institute in Beijing.

The move is widely viewed as a bid to further tap the local market and expand technological co-operation with Chinese partners.

C. D. Tam, president of Motorola Asia-Pacific Region, said Motorola is firmly committed to a true technology partnership with China.

To date, the company has set up 18 research and development centers on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong. These centers focus on advanced semiconductor materials, micro-controllers, mobile phone chips and software development.

Motorola has committed 1.3 billion yuan (US$160 million) to these centers.

The company plans to have 25 research and development centers with an investment of 1.8 billion yuan (US$220 million) by 2001.

The Chinese Government is currently launching a national technological innovation campaign. A number of leading international companies are establishing research and development stations in China.

On the same day, the company donated 3 million yuan (US$360,000) to Project Hope to support basic education in the nation's poor, rural areas.

The company also contributed 1.4 million yuan (US$170,000) to eight universities including Beijing University, Qinghua University and Fudan University.

The donation, Motorola's fifth in five years, brought its Project Hope donations to 15 million yuan (US$1.8 million).