Huawei Technologies Co., China's biggest telecommunications equipment producer, signed an agreement with Wataniya Telecom in Maldives, Huawei said on its Web site Tuesday.

According to the agreement, Huawei will provide a shared core network system for 2G/3G and a complete service platform for Watania in Maldives. The project also covers the 3G access network equipment for most islands in the country.

"With Huawei's high quality products and excellent service, we are sure this cooperation will bring more services to our clients in Maldives," said Ahmad Haleem, chief executive officer of Wataniya's international department.

This was the first cooperation between Huawei and Watania, and would expand into more fields in the future, said Wang Jiading, vice president of Huawei's Middle East & North Africa Region.

Huawei has been expanding abroad in the past two years, scoring major deals in markets like the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Global revenues from Huawei's mobile telecommunications products rose 120 percent year on year to US$1.6 billion in the first half of 2005, accounting for 40 percent of the company's 33 billion yuan (US$4.1 billion) revenue for the period.

On Monday, the Sunday Times reported Huawei was in talks to take over Marconi Corp., a UK-based telecom and IT equipment company. But Huawei declined to comment on the report. "We won't comment on this," said a Huawei spokeswoman surnamed Xiao on Wednesday.

(Shenzhen Daily August 11, 2005)