"If TCL wants to become a huge company, an international company, we have to have [the ability to make] the chipset and the panel," says Zhao Zhongyao, chief executive officer of the TCL/Thomson joint venture.

TCL's four leading R&D centers have been heavily involved in setting digital TV standards in the United States, Europe and China. "TCL will in this way reinforce its status in the world's top three TV markets," said Chen Xin, president of Guangdong Polytechnic University.

The company's R&D spending totaled 1.65 billion yuan (206 million U.S. dollars) last year.

1

2

3

4

(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)