China has set up a joint venture...

China has set up a joint venture with a U.S. company to develop computer software for international markets.

The company, Astro-UniHorn Computer Technology Co., is a conglomerate of UniHorn Inc., a San Francisco-based subsidiary of Unison Inc.; the Chinese aerospace ministry’s six research institutes, and the Great Wall Industry Corp.

Among the new products the new company is to develop is software that enables computers to do engineering design work, UniHorn Vice President James H. Spear Jr. said. He said UniHorn sought Chinese partners because of their low-cost expertise.

Unison has four other joint ventures in China, including the Great Wall Hotel in Beijing, one of the city’s largest hotels.