BEIJING, Aug 26 (Reuters) - IBM ( IBM ) will completely

shut its China R&D operation, affecting more than 1,000 jobs,

the U.S. technology company said on Monday.

A spokesperson for IBM ( IBM ), currently the world's biggest

technology services company, confirmed earlier media reports in

a statement to Reuters, saying "these changes will not impact

our ability to support clients across the Greater China region."

The cuts come amid the company's struggles with falling

demand for its hardware and challenges in growth markets like

China.