Due to China's surging demand in recent years for microprocessors and Intel's desire to expand, there have been rumors abounding of plans Intel may have to put manufacturing facilities in China. Now, the Chinese Government has "pro-actively" approved the action, giving Intel the freedom to expand into China if they so wished. Why is this particularly interesting? Mostly because Intel is not commenting on the whole ordeal one way or the other:
Intel, the world's largest semiconductor maker, has not revealed plans to build a chip plant in Dalian. Intel officials in Beijing and the chipmaker's headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., declined to comment, saying the company has not made a formal announcement.
Meanwhile, Intel is hastily upgrading numerous other fabs they have, whether it be for 65nm, 45nm or other future endeavors. Intel already has manufacturing facilities in China, and the huge demand for DSPs and CPUs in the rapidly growing country would lend credit to the rumors.