Sony Ericsson to set up joint mobile phone venture in China
( 2002-04-08 14:56 ) (7 )

Japanese-Swedish mobile phone venture Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ltd. said Monday it had applied to set up a subsidiary in Beijing to supply mobile phones in China.

"The goal of this move is to plan, produce and sell Sony Ericsson brand mobile phones in the Chinese market," said Utako Higuchi, a spokeswoman for Sony Ericsson in Japan.

The new company will unify three production bases in China owned separately by Sony Corp. and LM Ericsson to make Sony Ericsson branded phones for the first time in the Chinese market, Higuchi said.

Sony Ericsson applied to Chinese authorities to establish the company earlier this year and expects to receive approval by the end of May.

The Japanese consumer electronics giant has a phone factory in Beijing, while Ericsson runs plants in Beijing and Nanjing.

Higuchi said Sony Ericsson will initially make second-generation and 2.5 generation mobile phones capable of e-mail and Internet access.

Sony Ericsson, a 50:50 joint venture, was established on October 1 last year with president Katsumi Ihara saying the company aims to be the world's top supplier by 2006.

"Developing the Sony Ericsson brand in China successfully is a one part of that goal," Higuchi said in October.