TCL Corp., China’s largest television and cellphone maker, almost doubled television sales in May from a year earlier, buoyed by a jump in overseas sales, the company said.

TCL is the world’s biggest television maker through a tie-up with RCA brand-owner Thomson SA.

Overseas shipments of televisions in May more than tripled to 1.04 million units from just 323,327 units a year ago, the company said in a statement published in the Shanghai Securities News.

The push overseas reflects a drive by TCL and its rivals to escape a crowded, margin-squeezed home electronics arena.

TCL’s domestic television sales fell 5.9 percent in May year-on-year to 392,679 units, putting overall sales for the month at 1.43 million units.

The company also makes personal computers, mostly sold within China — the world’s second-largest PC market. Computer sales went up 11.1 percent on-year to 56,907 units in May.

(Shenzhen Daily June 20, 2005)