Chinese women aim for global market

Guoteng employs more than 500 staff, most of them women.

In this story: WTO brings dramatic change The world's biggest market RELATED SITES

By CNN's Kirsty Alfredson

HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Chinese telephone maker Guoteng Communication's leader describes the company as unique because most members are women.

Board chairman and president He Ran, or Jessica He, says that's because the women are ambitious.

AUDIO CNN's Kirsty Alfredson speaks to Guoteng President He Ran about its global bid 2.26 MB/3:35 mins AIFF or WAV sound

Professor He and her CEO Wu Xiao Song fit the mold.

As China moves towards becoming the largest global telecommunications market, its companies are positioning themselves to service the domestic market and are not afraid of global competition.

Guoteng supplies pay phones to China Telecom and says its company goal is to establish Guoteng as "a famous brand enterprise" striving for "the first-class high-tech enterprise in the world".

WTO brings dramatic change

When China enters the World Trade Organization, He Ran says "dramatic" changes will allow the company to increase exports, as the components needed for Guoteng's pay phones will drop, allowing it to be more competitive. Those parts are imported from the U.S.

She's not afraid of imports but concedes those in some other industries such as the auto industry are unlikely to be as enthusiastic about the changes WTO accession may bring.

This week, China's information industry minister Wu Jichuan told the Fortune Global Forum in Hong Kong that China's fixed and mobile phone user population would more than double over the next five years from 230 million to 500 million.

Guoteng CEO Wu Xiao Song and President He Ran at the Fortune Global Forum

This would give the country 40 percent penetration -- low by advanced nation standards, but the world's largest market.

"In China a lot of places are not well developed. The needs of people are not satisfied, so there is a market," says He.

Rising living standards should allow Chinese consumers to realize their desires.

The world's biggest market

Chinese President Jiang Zemin in his keynote address to the forum said China's GDP will reach 12.5 trillion yuan ($1.5 trillion) by 2005.

But that wasn't the comment He and Wu, sitting in the audience, noticed the most; it was the number of times Jiiang said the word "peace".

"I noticed he mentioned it 13 times, so I think that's really important," He said.

"Only if the world has peace can we develop our economy and the people live a good life."

They came to Hong Kong not just to meet other business people but show off what they say is the best part of China -- Sichuan province where they live.

Guoteng Communications is based in Chengdu, the province's high-tech center.

According to its web site, Guoteng Communication is recognized by the Chinese government as one of the largest telecommunications manufacturers in Sichuan.

The Fortune Global Forum is organized by Fortune magazine, a unit of AOL Time Warner. CNN is also a division of AOL Time Warner.

Guoteng Group

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