The US-based Analog Devices Inc (ADI), a world-leading semiconductor company specializing in the design and manufacture of high-performance analog processing, digital signal processing (DSP) and mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs), opened its China headquarters in Shanghai on Tuesday.

China, which used to be part of ADI's Asian market, is now an independent market, in parallel with other markets such as Japan, Asia, Europe and North America.

The company is taking the move as a signal of its long-term commitment to China.

As the market grows, "we may also do manufacturing in China," said Jerald G Fishman, ADI's president and chief executive officer. He declined to give any specific timetable, simply saying "there is a high opportunity."

The company currently has research and development teams in Beijing and Shanghai. It also has sales networks in major Chinese cities and is expanding to second-tier cities.

With the new China headquarters, the company is confident of more than doubling its China customer base from about 10,000 to 25,000 within five years, Fishman said.

"We'll get there, with high growth in every product area," he said.

Geographically speaking, the highest growth will come from China and South Korea, according to Vincent Roche, the company's vice-president of global sales and marketing.

"There are emerging opportunities in Asian countries," Roche said.

He said new applications in areas such as digital TV, car safety and energy efficiency will drive up ADI's China growth.

(China Daily 06/30/2005 page10)