HP sees long-term benefits in Chinese businesses

Tech heavyweight HP is committed to long-term growth in China, as it works to better tap the country's position as both a crucial market and an important part of its global supply chains, a senior executive said.

Jason Juang, managing director of HP Greater China, said: "HP has been in China for 40 years. We were the first US-based company to establish a high-tech joint venture here and over the past four decades, we have grown in China, with China, and for China.

"As we look forward, we see many opportunities to build on our success and serve the needs of our customers and communities. China's growing market, rapid technological development and advancing industry are paving the way for long-term, sustainable growth.

"We will continue to support the digital transformation of all enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, and to innovate for our customers and enhance the way they work, live and play."

As media reported that US PC maker Dell is moving its supply chains out of China, HP said it has no such plans.

Enrique Lores, CEO of HP Inc, said in a recent interview with CNBC in January that "China is a very important part of our supply chain and it will continue to be for the foreseeable future."

Juang said, "We will continue to increase investment in China and deepen cooperation with local partners."

With a sprawling presence in China, HP highlighted that it regards the country as an essential part of its global strategy.

The company has a design center for PCs and a printing product R&D center both in Shanghai, focusing on the research and development of inkjet printers, laser printers and large-format printing equipment.

Moreover, via multiple production bases in China, HP has helped sharpen the country's advantages in manufacturing. The company has a production base for personal computers and foreign equipment in Chongqing, one of the largest such production bases in the world.

"To better serve Chinese customers, we have recently expanded the PC R&D and testing center in Chongqing, including a failure analysis laboratory to support HP's extensive product portfolio," Juang said.

The company also has established a large-scale printer production base in Weihai, Shandong province, and by leveraging the advantage of Weihai's location, the company's printers have been sold to more than 60 countries and regions, helping build the city into a global printer manufacturing center.

On Thursday, HP released four series of more than 50 new printing products, which are respectively aimed at the home printing market, small and medium-sized enterprise market and the large enterprise market.

HP's emphasis on China's major role in supply chains also came as the nation's manufacturing and high-tech sectors proved to be highly attractive to foreign investors.

In January, the actual use of foreign capital in China's manufacturing and high-tech sectors jumped by 40.4 percent and 62.8 percent year-on-year, respectively, the latest data from the Ministry of Commerce showed.

China's appeal for high-end manufacturing is growing, which can better help safeguard the stability of global industrial and supply chains, said Liu Wenqiang, deputy head of the Beijing-based China Center for Information Industry Development.