China State Councilor Hua Jianmin said on Monday that he hopes Intel Corporation will expand even further its cooperation with Chinese companies after the American computer chip giant officially announced plans to build a 2.5-billion-U.S.-dollar plant in northeast China.

Hua made the remarks at a meeting with President and Chief Executive Officer of Intel, Paul Otellini. The two sides exchanged views on expanding cooperation in the information industry.

Intel announced it will build a huge new plant in Dalian, a port city in northeast China's Liaoning Province. Intel already has two chip plants in Shanghai Municipality and Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The plant, to be located in a high-tech zone north of Dalian's city proper, will be one of Intel's eight factories worldwide to produce 300-millimetre integrated wafers after it becomes operational in the first half of 2010.

Construction of the plant will start before the end of this year, Intel said in a press release.

The new project will make Intel "one of the largest foreign investors in China" with nearly four billion U.S. dollars of investment, said Otellini at Monday's press conference.

Intel has invested 1.3 billion U.S. dollars over the past two decades and China has become its second largest market.

Hua spoke highly of Intel's investment and called on it expand cooperation with Chinese companies.

Otellini said Intel will make full use of its technological advantages and investment to strengthen its cooperation with China.

Source: Xinhua