Nokia's cell phone sales skyrocket in China 
 
 
 
世界最大的手机制造商诺基亚日前表示将会加速中国手机市场的开拓力度。在今年头九个月中，诺基亚在中国大陆、台湾以及香港、澳门地区的总销量比去年同期增长了77%，达到2300万台。这也最终促成了中国市场33亿美元的历史性销量。与此同时，诺基亚在中国四家手机制造工厂的产品出口总价值也达到了23亿美元。
  
 
 
 
 
Nokia CEO Jorma Ollila speaks at a conference in New York, November, 4, 2004. (Reuters)
Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone maker, said that over the first nine months of the year it had sold 23
million handsets in China, an increase of 77 percent compared to the same period a year ago.

"For the combined Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan markets, we now have an estimated device market share of
 well over 30%," Nokia chief executive Jorma Ollila said in a speech in Beijing, published on the company website.

During the first three quarters of 2005, the Finnish company made 3.3 billion dollars (2.7 billion euros) in
sales in China, while its exports from the Asian country ticked in at 2.3 billion dollars.

"China currently has 380 million mobile subscribers. We believe that by 2010, China will have added another 250
million mobile subscribers, making it the single largest mobile market in the world," Ollila said.

China, with its 1.3 billion inhabitants and with 60 percent of its telecommunications already mobile, holds the
promise of massive future growth for operators and phone makers.

The number of mobile phone subscribers in the country is expected to reach 520 million in 2008 and 600 million
two years later, according to predictions presented at an industrial forum in Shanghai at the beginning of November.

The harsh competition between foreign and local players for Chinese mobile phone customers is thus expected to
become starker in years to come.

This year, Nokia, Motorola and Samsung together hold about 40 percent of the Chinese market share, far below
their combined global level of nearly 63 percent, according to US analyst firm Gartner.

At the end of September, Nokia reported that its global mobile phone market share had reached 33 percent.

The Finnish giant currently employs some 6,000 people in China, accounting for just over 10 percent of its total
worldwide staff.

Going forward, Nokia said it would continue to increase its research and development activities and its
investments in China.

"With the expected launch of 3G (third generation) services, we believe China will enter a new era of mobility
and will play a significant role in the global market," Ollila said.