TAIWAN LCD panel maker Chimei Group is to start selling TV sets on the Chinese mainland around the end of this month in cooperation with electronics retailer Suning Appliance Co.

It's the first time Chimei, the world's fourth largest LCD panel manufacturer, will have sold sets outside Taiwan.

"Chimei chose Suning as its exclusive sales partner on the mainland because of its market share, fast growth and advanced retailing terminals," said Zheng Liangbin, vice general manager of Chimei's brand career group.

Suning has displayed Chimei's products in more than 10 outlets in Shanghai and the number will increase to 30 by the end of this year.

Chimei plans to enlarge its production lines and sell TV sets in other cities via Suning from next year.

It also expects that the sales will be among the top 10 companies in Shanghai's flat panel market.

The company has invested 130 billion yuan in eight panel plants in China's mainland and 45 percent of LCD TV sets in the mainland market are using Chimei-made flat panels.