China's largest telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co. is aiming for sales of more than US$200 million in Brazil this year, more than double last year's figure of US$100 million, according to the company's vice president in Brazil, Joao Pedro Flecha de Lima.

Huawei was betting on continued strong growth for mobile equipment, and was planning to open a factory to manufacture handsets in Brazil this year, Flecha said Wednesday.

Demand was also expected to be strong for broadband Internet access equipment, from both telecom operators and corporate clients.

The firm used its lower prices and rapid response time to establish a foothold in Brazil, Flecha said, claiming that the firm was now aiming to provide more quality for its prices.

Huawei now supplies equipment to most of Brazil's major telecom firms including fixed- line operators Brasil Telecom Participacoes SA, Tele Norte Leste Participacoes SA, and Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo SA, as well as long-distance carrier Embratel Participacoes SA.

The firm's mobile customers included the largest operator, Vivo, and it recently completed a GSM overlay for regional operator CTBC, Flecha said.

Chinese equipment firms such as Huawei and rival ZTE had taken time to win over Brazilian customers.

Meanwhile, Huawei's overall international sales are expected to double to US$4 billion in 2005, from US$2 billion in 2004, partly offsetting lower growth expectations for domestic sales in China, Flecha said.

(Shenzhen Daily January 14, 2005)