SHANGHAI - A central processing unit (CPU) developed by a Chinese company has entered mass production to compete with global chip giants such as Intel and AMD.

The ZX-C series, developed by Shanghai Zhaoxin Semiconductor Co Ltd adopt the same X86 architecture as Intel processors and are compatible with Windows operating system and software, which previous Chinese processors failed to do, said Ye Jun, chairman of Zhaoxin.

"Computers equipped with our processor have passed the test to run smoothly for 100,000 hours, meaning it is qualified for mass production," Ye said.

According to Ye, computers installed with ZX-C CPUs are now qualified for government procurement in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui and other Chinese regions.