Handset maker calls on China

Sony Ericsson is looking to increase the number of domestic suppliers in China to save costs and improve efficiency even as it cuts the overall numbers globally, a top company official said.

Matthew Costello, corporate vice-president of Sony Ericsson and head of global operations, said the move would enable the world's fourth-largest cell phone maker to "be more close to our manufacturing activity".

He added: "Roughly 90 percent of (Sony Ericsson's) finished products, including handsets and accessories, are now manufactured locally in China."