Nokia Capitel Telecommunication (NCT) said that its 200 millionth cell phones made in China had been rolled off the line, indicating that it has become China's largest cell phone manufacturer and exporter.

David Ho, president of Nokia (China) Investment Co. Ltd., told a ceremony on Monday that Nokia has witnessed a rapid development in China over the past decade.

"Half of the 200 million cell phones we produced are for export. This greatly helped to promote the development of the local economy," he said.

Localization has been an important strategic task of Nokia ever since it entered the Chinese market a decade ago.

Starting from 1995, Nokia has set up two cell phone manufacturing bases with the Capitel Co. Ltd. in Beijing and the Dongguan Nanxin Industry Development Co. Ltd. in south China's Guangdong Province.

It also has set up two network equipment joint ventures with the Hangxing Machine Company in Beijing and the Lianhe Investment Company in Shanghai, forming a complete localized products production line.

Nokia Capitel Telecommunication (NCT) was set up January this year through restructuring of the four companies.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2005)