Intel Corp has moved the global headquarters of its Channel Platform Group to China, the first time the world's largest chip maker locates major business headquarters outside the United States.

It was the important strategic role of the Chinese market that prompted Intel to move the headquarters of such a major department to Shanghai, said William M. Siu, Intel global vice president and general manager of Channel Platforms Group.

China is the second market of Intel following the United States, and Intel predicted the country would become its biggest market in three to five years, according to Siu.

The relocation of the headquarters, which was announced on Monday, was to improve the speed and efficiency of policy making for the China market, he said.

The Channel Platforms Group is formed on the basis of Intel's development and sales departments. To move its headquarters to Shanghai will allow better execution of Intel's platform strategy and develop more solutions to meet the demand of computer makers in the country, said Siu.

Now both Siu and six other senior executives have arrived from the United States and Hong Kong.

To strengthen research and development, manufacturing and sales in China, Intel will employ some 200 locals to expand Intel's China arms, said Siu, who did not say when the recruitment program would be launched and finished.

Intel began to cooperate with China's local governments in a computer promotion program. China-made computers bearing Haier, TCL and other Chinese brands and tag "Intel inside" have been entering the vast rural areas in China.

Also on Monday, Intel announced the establishment of four platform definition centers in India, Egypt, Brazil and China, respectively, to provide services for South Asia, Middle East, Africa and East Asia.

Source: Xinhua