AMD establishes China subsidiary

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) has established a wholly owned Chinese subsidiary, Advanced Micro Devices (China) Co. Ltd., as the company looks to beef up its presence in the world's most populous country.

The creation of a wholly owned subsidiary in China will allow AMD to conduct a wider range of business operations in China, the company said, without specifying the areas of its business that would be involved. Previously, AMD conducted business in China through representative offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

The offices will now be consolidated under AMD China, the company said.

The announcement was timed to coincide with a visit to China last week by AMD President and CEO Hector Ruiz, who met with Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan in Beijing and delivered a speech at Beijing's Tsinghua University, AMD said.

AMD also last week announced partnerships with two Chinese companies: BLX IC Design Co. Ltd. and Founder Group. AMD and BLX have teamed up to open a joint development center for thin-client reference designs based on AMD's Alchemy and BLX's Godson-1 processor families. Similarly, Founder and AMD have opened a joint design lab for digital home media centers based on AMD's Geode and Alchemy processors.

In a symbolic gesture of goodwill, Ruiz announced AMD would donate 1 million renminbi (US$120,669) to "help ensure that all primary, secondary and university students in China have the opportunity to receive a quality education and contribute to the future development of China," AMD said.

The donation will be split evenly between the China Youth Development Foundation establish the AMD Westward Hope Fund to support primary and secondary education in Western China and Tsinghua University, where the funds will be allocated to students and researchers involved in developing solutions to economic challenges facing China, it said.