Air-conditioner production lines provided by the Chunlan Group, China's leading household electric appliances manufacturer, to the NS Company, its Argentine counterpart, have become operational in Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina.

NS bought the Chinese production lines and related technology for about 10 million US dollars. NS has also built a plant with an annual production capacity of 100,000 air-conditioners.

NS chose Chunlan products after investigating the global market. The company also plans to introduce Chunlan washing-machine production lines next year. In 1999 Chunlan exported household electric appliance production lines and related technology to Singapore, Cambodia, Russia and Spain.

Chunlan, the leading air-conditioner maker in China and the seventh largest in the world, has spent about one billion yuan (about 120.48 million US dollars) in upgrading its technology in recent years. There are more than 60 varieties of Chunlan air- conditioners on sale.

The output and sales of Chunlan air-conditioners have ranked first in China for seven years in a row and sold to more than 60 countries. (Xinhua)