ZTE charts plan to grow handset sales

ZTE Corp is facing "unprecedented" smartphone sales pressure in China due to stiff competition, a senior company executive said on Monday.

The Shenzhen-based company is aiming to become a top-three player in the world's largest handset market three years from now as analysts worry the goal is too ambitious to achieve.

Zeng Xuezhong, executive vice-president and head of the mobile devices division of ZTE, has promised to release a next-generation flagship device in the coming months that will be "cool", "compelling" and "trusted" so that the company may able to win over buyers from Xiaomi Corp and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.