Mobile phone production jumps 33.7%
16 July 2007
China produced nearly 226 million mobile phones in the first five months of the year, up 33.7% from a year earlier, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Information Technology (MII), Xinhua reported (in Chinese). The rising rural market is believed to be a major driver behind the production boom, explained ministry officials. As international equipment makers begin to promote low-end phones targeting farmers, local producers are trying to catch up, according to the ministry. China is expected to manufacture 40% of the 1 billion mobile phones produced around the world this year, said ministry officials.