In a bid to break into China's rapidly growing market, Sony Corp. will produce and market a range of its popular Vaio notebook computers there starting next month, company officials said Friday.
Sony will export half-finished goods and parts for assembly at an existing lithium ion battery factory in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, in eastern China, that was established in April.
Initial production is targeted at around 100,000 units a year.
"China is a huge market and it is on a steady path of growth," Sony spokesman Shigenori Yoshida said. "We see it as a very attractive market with a lot of growth potential."
Sony is making the move based on the assumption that the World Trade Organization's endorsement for China's membership in the global trade body will improve the investment environment there.
China's computer market is expected to reach 11 million units this year, matching the Japanese market, according to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association.
Toshiba Corp., another electronics giant, began production of personal computers in Shanghai in April 2000.
"The strength of Vaio is the fact that it can be connected with other digital equipment," Yoshida said. "We have been marketing the product by emphasizing its entertainment capability. We want our Chinese clients to experience that aspect of this product."