Huawei enters global handset competition

Huawei Technologies announced that it will launch a series of branded cellular phones over the next half year. Huawei, China's largest telecoms equipment manufacturer, is expected to be a serious competitor in the global handset market.

Huawei said that the recent release of cellular phones and fixed phone terminals using the niche CDMA450 technology was the beginning of a sweeping effort to become a major handset producer. It expects its overseas sales to double this year to US$1 billion.