Chinese telecom device maker Huawei will set up a cutting-edge technology research and development base in Tokyo.

Hu Houkun, Huawei's technology vice president and rotating CEO, said that Huawei plans to set up the Tokyo R&D base during 2017. It will initially have 20 to 30 technical staff and it will be expanded in accordance to its development. Expected capitalization and investment figures were not released by the company.

Huawei plans to cooperate with Japanese enterprises to promote Internet of Things and 5G technologies. Huawei not only sees Japan as its target market for communications equipment and portable devices sales, but also sees it as an important base for research and development in sectors like virtual reality.

Hu said Japan has the latest technologies that can by applied in the Internet of Things sector; meanwhile, the country has high fiber optic network penetration.

Apart from the product development base, Huawei's Tokyo R&D base will also have a cutting-edge technology R&D base named "X Lab". The company currently has X Labs in Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Munich. The Tokyo X Lab is Huawei's second overseas base.

In addition, Huawei hopes that Japanese enterprises and certification authorities can join the new base. In the 5G sector, Huawei will enhance cooperation with SoftBank and NTT DoCoMo; in the VR technology sector, the Chinese company plans to cooperate with Sony; and in industrial sector, they hope to form partnerships with Toshiba and Yaskawa.