Company chairman speaks at opening of facility in Chengdu that will be a major test and assembly center Craig Barrett, chairman of chipmaker Intel Corp., Tuesday praised Chinese leaders for their commitment to education, saying their efforts are one of the reasons that Intel has invested so much in the country during recent years.“China’s focus on science and technology education has advanced the nation’s competitiveness,” Barrett said, according to a company statement. His comments came at an opening ceremony for a test and assembly facility that Intel has built in the western Chinese city of Chengdu.The Chengdu facility cost $200 million to build and is the first phase of what will eventually be a major test and assembly center for Intel. The company expects to begin production at a second plant in Chengdu in 2007. Intel already has a test and assembly facility located just outside Shanghai. During Barrett’s visit to Chengdu, the company announced plans to match employee volunteer efforts in the city with a cash donation. For every 20 hours that an Intel employee volunteers at a local school, the company will donate $75 to the school through the Intel Foundation, which was created to support engineering and computer science education, according to Intel. Technology Industry