"A recent survey by International Data Group showed our sales rose 204 percent in the fourth quarter of 2000 from a year earlier, making us China's fourth largest laptop provider," said Alvaro del Pozo, Dell's marketing director for home and small business in the Asia-Pacific region.

Del Pozo is in charge of Dell's Inspiron laptop brand, which targets individual buyers and medium-sized companies. Dell launched its latest Inspiron 8000 laptops in Shanghai yesterday.

"Asia is our fastest-growing market, and China represents significant future growth," he said.

Sales of laptop computers on China's mainland are expected to reach 730,000 units this year, an increase of 40 percent from 2000, compared with an average annual growth of 18 percent in the global market.

To tap the Chinese market, US-based Dell has expanded its factory, covering 36,232 square-meters near the airport of Xiamen City.

The new plant, which started production in November 2000, has a capacity of producing 1.5 times more computer servers and twice as much desktops and laptops than the old factory.

Dell executives, however, declined to reveal production and sales figures.

While other laptop makers are transferring their production bases to Shanghai and Jiangsu Province, Dell said it has no plans to move out of Xiamen, where it enjoys good relations with the local government.

Legend is the country's No.1 laptop maker, followed by IBM and Toshiba.

(Eastday.com 03/23/2001)