Chinese tech company Oppo said on Monday it has established a research and development center in Xi'an, Shaanxi province as part of a broader push to sharpen its technological prowess amid intensified competition.

Oppo said the R&D center in Xi'an will initially focus on the research and development of smartphones, and will gradually grow into an all-around product R&D center.

Duan Yaohui, vice-president of Oppo, said the establishment of the Xi'an R&D Center is an important move to support the company's future business development and a key platform for Oppo to improve its R&D capabilities.

The Xi'an R&D Center will serve as a R&D product center and a technical competence center in northwestern China, and cooperate with Oppo's other R&D centers to improve the overall efficiency of the company's R&D platform, Duan said.