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China’s Huawei eyes Europe telecom growth
September 21, 2013, 5:14 am

Huawei is expected to create up to 7,500 jobs in European markets

Huawei is expected to create up to 7,500 jobs in European markets [AP}

Chinese telecommunications company Huawei opened a 250-square-metre Enterprise Office and Exhibition centre in Amstelveen, Netherlands as it announced on Friday that it would be expanding its operations in Europe.

Huawei has pledged to create up to 7,500 jobs in its Benelux expansion plans over the next five years, with 800 posts dedicated to research and development.

Huawei marketing chief Patrick Zhang said: “Our expansion progress in Europe is different from that in the US, where we have encountered access difficulties due to some groundless reasons given by the American side.”

“The fact is that since the start of our global presence, there has not been one security complaint made against us,” he said.

Zhang was referring to allegations made by some US officials that the company dabbled in industrial espionage. Huawei has vehemently denied the charges.

“By opening this new exhibition centre I think Huawei has demonstrated its commitment to long-term development in the Netherlands. It also shows the favorable investment environment of the Netherlands,” said Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Li Fei.

Huawei has been making global inroads in recent years.

In September 2012, Xin Wen, Huawei CEO for the Netherlands, unveiled the Ascend P1 in Amsterdam.

In February, the telecom firm paired up with Microsoft to manufacture a low-cost smartphone exclusive to African markets.

Called the Huawei 4Afrika Windows Phone, it will be sold for $150 in Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Angola, Morocco and South Africa.

Last month, Huawei unveiled the world’s slimmest smartphone in the Philippines.

The Ascend P6 smartphone is only 6.18 mm thick and weighs just 120 grams.

Source: Agencies