BEIJING—Jan Malm, President of Ericsson (China) has confirmed that China has become Ericsson’s top market in the first half of this year with sales of US$970 million, 12 percent of the company’s total net sales. The company realized 11 percent of its sales in the United States during the period.
Malm expects double-digit revenue growth in China this year.
Sweden’s Ericsson and its suppliers plan to increase investment in China from US$2.4 billion to US$5.1 billion in the next five years.
Ericsson is also paying attention to the Chinese government’s strategy of developing the western part of the country and has already set up its first joint venture in the area. Chongqing Ericsson Technology Ltd. is located in the centrally administered municipality of Chongqing.
China Mobile awarded Ericsson a contract for phase two of its GPRS network to cover more than 50 cities in nine provinces, and Malm claims his company occupies more than 40 percent of China’s General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) market.
