“Thanks to the 30 million savviest mobile users for choosing performance without price,” read a ZTE ad in the Wall Street Journal on May 16. ZTE is now the fourth largest smart phone manufacturer in the United States.

In the past few years, China has been marching forward in the high-tech manufacturing industry. In the international telecommunications market, Chinese manufacturers like ZTE and Huawei are gaining traction outside of China. In the computer industry, Chinese brand Lenovo regularly beats HP and Dell, ranking first among personal computer suppliers.

In the United States, ZTE cooperates with high-tech companies like Google and Microsoft to establish venture capital funds and build platforms for further cooperation. ZTE has established six R&D centers and one logistics center in the U.S., both of which employ largely local workforces. In addition, ZTE also sponsors five NBA teams to raise its brand awareness in the U.S.

Although ZTE has clawed its way to global success, the company has had to conquer unimaginable difficulties on its way. And ZTE is not the only one; other Chinese brands that now are popular internationally all experienced great challenges and frustrations.

Now, ZTE mobile phones are selling in 160 countries and regions around the world. According to ZTE’s latest financial statement, the shipment of ZTE mobile phones in 2015 reached 56 million, increasing 16 percent compared to 2014. For the first quarter of 2016, ZTE mobile sales also saw overall growth, with outbound shipments accounting for 70 percent of total shipments.