Astro Corporation, a Taiwan-based maker of arcade/casino gaming machines, will indirectly invest US$3.0 million to establish a joint venture (JV) in Beijing, China, with the corporate name yet to be determined, according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) on August 17.

The new JV will engage in R&D and marketing of gaming machines, Astro indicated.

According to the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN), Astro will negotiate with China-based partners to finalize the investment project. In addition, Astro will set up subsidiaries to develop software and another to assemble gaming machines in Xiamen, southeastern China. The subsidiaries will also apply for certification from the international testing organization, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), EDN pointed out.