Operation will continue current operations, including design of ASICs for mobile phones NEC Corp. has bought out its Chinese partner in a Beijing-based semiconductor design joint venture, the company said Thursday.NEC paid an undisclosed sum to Beijing Hua Hong Integrated Circuit Design Co. Ltd. for the 40 percent of Beijing Hua Hong NEC IC Design Co. that it did not already own. As a result of the transaction the name of the company has been changed to NEC IC Design Beijing Co. Ltd., the Tokyo-based company said in a statement.The Chinese company currently employees around 190 staff and expects sales to hit ¥1 billion ($9.3 million) this year. After the acquisition it will continue is current operations, which include design of ASICs (application specific integrated circuits) for mobile telephones and consumer electronics devices, and strengthen links with NEC group companies, the statement said. Beijing Huahong NEC IC Design Co. was established in mid-1998 as part of the Chinese Government’s “909 Project” that was aimed at developing the domestic semiconductor industry over a five-year span. Technology IndustrySoftware DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business