On November 1 during a contract singing ceremony, Intel, the world's major computer chip producer, and Haier, China's famous home appliance maker, emphasized that over the next three years, they would fully cooperate in developing inexpensive personal computers (PC) and laptops to foster a greater presence in Chinese rural markets.

Paul Otellini, Intel's president and CEO, said that Intel and Haier would be engaged in providing user-friendly and low-price computers for China's large rural areas. Additionally, Zhang Ruimin, Haier's CEO, revealed that the two companies are currently collaborating closely to provide 1 million computers for the rural markets of Henan and they would later cooperate more widely.

This move is a response to the public intentions of several other leading technology companies to break into China's rural market. AMD, Intel's biggest rival, is now concentrating on developing Chinese rural markets, and Lenovo, HP, Dell, and other PC giants are also using AMD processors to make low-price products aimed at the rural markets.

For more details, please read the full story in Chinese. (http://www.china-cbn.com/s/n/000004/20071102/020000059265.shtml)

(China.org.cn November 2, 2007)