US wireless communication giant Motorola aims to establish 2 new Research and Development (R&D) centres within this year and recruit up to 1,000 engineers in China, as the firm wants to cater the needs for Asian and Chinese customers. Ruey Bin Kao, President of Motorola (China) Electronics Ltd, said yesterday in Beijing that the number of engineers at Motorola's various R&D organizations is expected to increase to 3,000 people this year, from 2,000 at the end of 2005. China has become the largest R&D destination for Motorola outside the United States wit investment amounts to US$100 million a year, according to Kao. With the recent opening of an R&D centre in Hangzhou, Motorola has now set up 6 R&D facilities in China to focus on the development of mobile telecommunication equipment. According to China Daily, changes in China's mobile telecommunication market had led Motorola to consider increasing its efforts in new areas. Another new focus for Motorola is mobile value-added services, as China is expected to release 3G licenses this year or the next. Since value-added services are what lure customers to 3G phones, Motorola also needs to keep an eye on technology developments in the area.