Dell plans to open a second major China operations center next year in Chengdu with manufacturing, sales and services to support rapid growth in business occurring in western China.

Dell is developing its manufacturing and customer support center in the West Chengdu High-Tech Park. The new center is expected to be operational in 2011 and could grow to 3,000 team members over time.

The new Chengdu operation adds to Dell's significant presence in China, which includes two computer manufacturing plants and an enterprise command center in Xiamen; a global product-design/engineering center in Shanghai — one of Dell's largest outside the U.S.; and an international service center in Dalian. Dell's total spend in facilities, employment, research and development and purchases from suppliers in China is estimated to be greater than USD100 billion over the next decade.

Dell's expansion to Chengdu supports the Chinese government's Western-China Development Strategy aimed at developing the country's inner-western region for trade and commerce.

The company also plans to open an additional office at its long-standing flagship center in Xiamen and hire up to 500 employees later this year to support its projected growth needs in North Asia and globally.