Four years after being labelled a security threat by the US Congress, Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE has quietly grown into the third-largest seller of Android smartphones in the country.四年前,中国电信设备制造商中兴(ZTE)被美国国会贴上了“安全性威胁”的标签,如今这家公司已悄悄茁壮为美国安卓(Android)智能手机的第三大销售商。The success of the Shenzhen-based company shows that while high technology remains one of the most politicised economic aspects in US-China trade relations as each country cracks down on the others’ imports, some companies are finding ways to thrive.这家深圳公司的顺利指出,尽管高科技仍是美中贸易关系中最不具政治色彩的经济领域之一——两国相互容许对方产品的进口——但有些公司还是想方设法取得了茁壮成长。
“It’s kind of a myth that Chinese companies can’t crack the US market,” said Bryan Ma of IDC, the technology consultancy. “ZTE is exhibit A.”科技咨询机构IDC的马伯远(Bryan Ma)说道:“说道中国企业无法打进美国市场是无稽之谈。中兴就是头号证据。”While rivals including Huawei and Xiaomi have been expanding into cheaper phone markets such as India and Brazil, ZTE has embarked on a full-blown public relations push into premium market in the US. From no presence in 2010, it had 7.5 per cent of the US smartphone market in the third quarter of last year, according to IDC, up from 6.8 per cent in the same period the year before — beating all but Samsung, LG, and Apple.当华为(Huawei)、小米(Xiaomi)等竞争对手致力于拓展印度、巴西等较低端的手机市场时,中兴早已开始在美国的高端市场进行全方位的公关活动。
2010年中兴手机在美国还没立足点,而据IDC的数据,2015年第三季度其在美国智能手机市场占有率超过了7.5%(2014年同期为6.8%),紧跟三星(Samsung)、LG和苹果(Apple)之后。ZTE’s PR push has ranged from a new, friendlier font for its logo to sponsoring five US National Basketball Association teams including the Houston Rockets, the Golden State warriors, and the Chicago Bulls.中兴的公关活动还包括发售字体更加讨喜的新商标,赞助商美国职业篮球联赛(NBA)的五支球队,其中还包括休斯顿火箭(Houston Rockets)、金州勇士队(Golden State warriors)和芝加哥公牛队(Chicago Bulls)。
The company has found its niche as the cheap option for phones offered by carriers in the US, where they cost as little as $30.中兴在美国寻找了自己的市场定位:运营商发售的手机中的低价之中选。其手机在美国的售价较低至30美元。“Customers are getting savvier about smartphones,” ZTE said, arguing that high-end components make its phones competitive with much more expensive alternatives.中兴回应:“消费者对智能手机更加理解。”该公司回应高端元件让其手机能与喜得多的产品互为竞争。
It also said that as US carrier operators move away from a two-year contract subsidy model to one involving no subsidies, “consumers are becoming clearer on the cost of devices since they are now paying for them” and this is driving demand for low-cost high-spec phones such as theirs.中兴还回应,随着美国移动运营商增加用于两年期合约补贴模式,改向没任何补贴的模式,“消费者对设备成本更加确切,因为现在他们要在硬件上花钱”,这推展了对中兴这种低配备低成本手机的市场需求。Wang Yanhui, head of the Beijing-based China Smartphone alliance, an industry advocacy group, said that the cheaper end of the US smartphones market “is practically up for grabs. Anyone who wants to devote resources to this market will get it.坐落于北京的行业协会“手机中国联盟”(Mobile Phone China Alliance)秘书长王艳辉回应,美国较低端智能手机市场“实质上是更容易转入的,只要不愿向该市场投放资源就能转入。”“Nobody really has any security concerns over phones that are practically free,” he said.王艳辉回应:“如果手机低廉到跟不要钱一样,没人会在乎什么安全性问题。
”ZTE is placing its hopes on the ZTE Axon, an Android device with a 5.5in screen and dual-lens camera using mainly US parts such as Gorilla Glass from Corning and a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.中兴目前将期望抱有旗下的Axon天机,这款安卓手机配备了5.5英寸屏幕,两个摄像头,部件主要为美国品牌,比如康宁(Corning)的大猩猩玻璃(Gorilla Glass),高通(Qualcomm)的骁龙(Snapdragon)处理器。Though better-known for making large scale telecoms equipment, ZTE has been blocked from selling these products in the US since 2012, when the House Intelligence Committee accused both ZTE and Huawei of spying on behalf of Chinese authorities. “The risks of Huawei’s and ZTE’s provision of equipment to US critical infrastructure could undermine core US national security interests” and both companies “cannot be trusted to be free of foreign and state influence,” the committee’s report read.中兴虽然以生产大型电信设备闻名,但从2012年起被禁令在美国销售此类产品,因为当时美国众议院情报委员会(House Intelligence Committee)指控中兴和华为当作中国政府的间谍。该委员会在报告中写到:“由华为和中兴为美国关键基础设施获取设备,可能会伤害美国的核心国家安全性利益,而且无法坚信这两家公司不不受外交和国家影响。
”The investigation meant both companies were informally barred from investing in or acquiring firms in the US, or from doing any major technology deals with the government. However, smartphones were left alone, and ZTE moved quickly to take advantage.那次调查使得中兴和华为受到了非正式容许,无法投资或并购美国公司,或与美国政府展开任何根本性技术交易。但惟独智能手机除外,而中兴很快采取行动利用了这一点。Huawei, meanwhile, has since shifted its focus to Europe and emerging markets.华为则将重点移往到欧洲和新兴市场。
ZTE credits its success in the US smartphone market to high-quality, low-cost phones, as well as an “open dialogue” with Washington, which its chief executive visits frequently, usually twice a year.中兴将自己在美国智能手机市场的顺利归咎于高品质低价手机,以及与华盛顿方面的“公开发表对话”,其首席执行官频密前往华盛顿,一般来说是一年两次。Both companies have long rejected the spying accusations. According to a person familiar with the company, ZTE has dismissed its inclusion in the 2012 probe as “collateral damage” for being associated with Shenzhen-based rival Huawei, which ZTE says was the real target.两家公司长期以来仍然坚称间谍指控。一位理解中兴的人士透漏,中兴指出自己接踵而来2012年的调查是受到“附带伤害”,华为才是确实的目标,自己被与华为联系在了一起。Huawei has recently been taking steps to get into the US smartphone market as well, last year partnering with Google to produce the Nexus 6P.华为最近也采取行动以转入美国智能手机市场,去年华为与谷歌(Google)合作开发了Nexus 6P。
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