Spreadtrum to be Acquired by Tsinghua Unigroup for $31.00/Share

Tsinghua Unigroup Ltd. ("Tsinghua Unigroup"), an operating subsidiary of Tsinghua Holdings Co. Ltd., a solely state-owned limited liability corporation funded by Tsinghua University in China, and Spreadtrum Communications, Inc.

, a leading fabless semiconductor provider in China with advanced technology in 2G, 3G and 4G wireless communications standards, today jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Tsinghua Unigroup will acquire all of the outstanding Ordinary Shares of Spreadtrum for US$31.00 per American Depositary Share (or US$10.33 per Ordinary Share, each American Depositary Share representing three Ordinary Shares). The merger values Spreadtrum's equity at approximately US$1.78 billion, on a fully diluted basis. The transaction is subject to approval by the shareholders of Spreadtrum, and antitrust and other regulatory approvals, and is not subject to any financing condition.  The Company's Board of Directors unanimously approved the merger agreement and recommends that the Company's shareholders vote to approve the merger agreement. Spreadtrum expects to hold a special meeting of its shareholders to consider and act upon the proposed transaction as promptly as practicable. Details regarding the record date for, and the date, time and place of, the