The world's largest supplier of semi-conductor manufacturing equipment, Applied Materials, says its sales in China in the 12 months to October this year will be almost US$1 billion, representing a 10-fold increase in four years.

Sales in China amount to 10-15 per cent of the US company's global sales in its fiscal year.

Its chief executive, Mike Splinter, says the company expects equipment spending in China to maintain long-term growth, expanding perhaps five to six times over the next six years to the end of the decade.

Applied Materials is considering manufacturing semiconductor-making equipment in China but has not decided to do so yet.

Most of its manufacturing is based in Austin, Texas.

In China, most wafer plants, developed by local engineers and also professionals lured mainly from Taiwan and the US, are located in Shanghai and the surrounding Yangtze delta region.

(CRI.com November 3, 2004)