CDMA chipmaker Qualcomm has opened a new research and development center in Shanghai, China as part of its ongoing efforts to tap into the region’s “increasingly important” wireless market.

China is deploying TD-SCDMA, a homegrown version of W-CDMA that may allow Chinese telecommunications firms to circumvent some patent fees associated with CDMA technology. The bulk of Qualcomm’s revenue comes from intellectual property fees on its extensive CDMA patents.

“We are very excited about the expansion of Qualcomm’s research and development activities in China, including the establishment of the new R&D center in Shanghai, which will enable our partners to bring a greater breadth and depth of 3G devices at a faster pace to one of the world’s most rapidly expanding mobile markets,” said Qualcomm CDMA Technologies president Steve Mollenkopf in a statement.

The new center in Shanghai is Qualcomm’s second research and development facility in China. The company already has an established CDMA center in Beijing in addition to branch offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen.