Capitel Producing More Mobile PhonesMobile phone producer Capitel Group sold 3.58 million mobile phones in the first half of the year, ranking No 1 in the country, according to a statement from the Ministry of Information Industry on Monday.Capitel Group, also named Beijing Telecommunications Equipment Factory, is benefiting from the prosperous mobile phone market. It also produces the most Nokia mobile phones in China. The Finland-based Nokia, along with Motorola and Ericsson, controls a major share of China's mobile phone market. In 1995, Capitel Group and Nokia set up Beijing Nokia Mobile Telecommunications Co Ltd, Nokia's first joint venture in China. Both sides contributed 50 per cent to what became Nokia's largest production line in China. Facing a rosy market and a rapid increase in mobile phone subscribers, Capitel's full-year revenues are expected to be 20 billion yuan (US$2.42 billion), with more than 7 million phones. He Yaoliang, Capitel vice-president, said the group will produce seven types of mobile phones specifically designed for Chinese consumers this year and at least 10 kinds next year. Capitel plans to produce 500,000 brand-name mobile phones this year and more than 1 million next year. Facing tough competition from around China and abroad, He said, Capitel will first target players such as NEC and Panasonic, which control less than 5 per cent of the Chinese market. China has 10 domestic mobile phone producers, he noted, but they still cannot compete easily with foreign firms. |
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