Minebea Co., Ltd. (Japan) announced it will be following its customers and setting up three new subsidiary operations in China.

Minebea is the world's largest manufacturer of miniature and precision instrument bearings. In bearings and other products, it employs 45,000 people in 39 manufacturing facilities across 10 countries. Minebea commands a 65% world market share of ball bearings 22mm and under.

Minebea Trading Co., Ltd. (MTL), currently based in Singapore, used to supervise sales in Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, India and China.

Now it is being split in two, with a new office based in Hong Kong to oversee new operations there, in Shenzhen and Shanghai. The Shenzhen operation, in the Fujian Free Trade Zone, covers sales in the south. Shanghai, in the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, covers sales in the east and north. The Hong Kong office also supervises operations in South Korea and Taiwan.

Minebea said, "Now that our products major customers at home as well as overseas are accelerating transfer of their productions to China, forming a growing market for our products, we need to expand our sales there while further strengthening our efforts to develop new markets."

The new divisions, employing over 80 people to start and costing over USD $41 million, are set to begin operation in November 2002.