SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ZTE Corporation (“ZTE”) (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment, network solutions and mobile devices, was delighted to welcome former President of the United States Jimmy Carter to Shanghai, deepening the company’s friendship with the President who championed closer ties between the U.S. and China.
President Carter toured ZTE’s Research and Development Center in Shanghai, home to some of the company’s most significant technology research projects in telecommunications networks and devices. Shi Lirong, President of ZTE, and Cheng Lixin, Chairman of ZTE USA, briefed President Carter on the latest business updates in the U.S. market, where ZTE is consolidating its position as one of the top providers of smartphones.
“It was my pleasure to visit the ZTE Research and Development Center in Shanghai today. It was impressive to learn of the great technological advancements that ZTE has developed,” President Carter said. “During this 35th anniversary of the normalization of U.S.–China relations, it is good to know of the partnerships between ZTE and American telecommunications companies.”
“We are honored by the visit of President Carter to ZTE, and delighted to have the opportunity to show him some of the company’s latest innovations,” said Mr. Shi. “President Carter’s vision and foresight has helped inspire ZTE and other Chinese technology companies to develop deep and mutually-beneficial partnerships with our counterparts in the U.S.”
In 1979, President Carter and Premier Deng Xiaoping signed the U.S.-China Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology, paving the way to 35 years of deepening collaboration in a diverse range of sectors including industrial technology, energy, earth and atmospheric sciences and health. President Carter previously met ZTE Chairman and Founder Hou Weigui in a previous visit to China in 2012.
ZTE’s business model and strategy exemplifies the spirit with which the agreement was signed, as the company’s U.S. partnerships and investments have led to its success and innovation in the U.S., in China, and on a global level. The maker of Blade, Grand X and nubia was a top-4 provider of smartphones in the U.S. in the second quarter with a market share of 7.4%, higher than any other Chinese company, according to research company Strategy Analytics.
In the U.S., ZTE collaborates with leading operators including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and others to provide consumers with award-winning smartphones and mobile devices. ZTE is ranked second in market share in the U.S. prepaid market, and its share of the postpaid (on-contract) market is steadily growing.
ZTE is actively pursuing collaborations and alliances in the U.S., including partnerships with U.S. technology firms including Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Google and Microsoft in semiconductors and operating systems, generating more than US$17 billion in revenue to the U.S. technology industry through purchases and licensing fees. ZTE also operates five research and development centers in the U.S., in Austin, San Diego, San Jose, North Carolina and New Jersey, with local employees accounting for 80% of the total headcount in the U.S. market.
“ZTE’s success is built on our alliances with U.S. partners, and we are committed to deepening our partnerships and alliances. The foundations laid by President Carter will continue to underpin collaboration between the technology industries in the U.S. and China going forward,” said Mr. Cheng.
The technology development carried out by ZTE in the U.S. helps support and drive the growth of the company’s operations globally. ZTE’s products and services are sold in more than 160 countries worldwide, and the company has more than 60 million active users globally for its mobile devices.
