US computing giant IBM said on Monday that any change "will not impact its ability to support clients in China", in response to the latest report that the company has shut down its research and development (R&D) operations in the country.

The comments came as local news outlets including jiemian.com said that IBM is closing its China Development Lab and China Systems Lab while laying off over 1,000 employees in cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Dalian.

In a statement provided to China Daily, IBM said: "The company adapts its operations as needed to best serve our clients, and these changes will not impact our ability to support clients across the Greater China region."

Without providing details about the lay-offs, IBM said that Chinese companies, especially privately owned firms, are increasingly focused on seizing the opportunities of hybrid cloud and AI technologies.

IBM's local strategy is focused on having the right teams with the right skills to help them co-create those solutions, drawing on our considerable technology and consulting expertise, it said.