Exports of mobile phones from China were worth 7.37 billion US dollars in 2003, surging 39.5 percent over the previous year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

A record 95.23 million cellphones were exported last year, up 50.8 percent over 2002 in a sign that China had become world's largest mobile phone exporter.

The phones were exported mainly to the United States, Hong Kongand Germany, which respectively covered 33.3 percent, 18.4 percentand 13.8 percent of the exports.

Exports of mobile phone parts and components in 2003 were worth US$4.15 billion, up 127.6 percent over 2002, customs statistics showed.

Phones exported by foreign-invested firms were worth US$7.27 billion and accounted for 98.7 percent of all phones exported, while exports by state-owned enterprises were worth 70.91 million US dollars, up 101.7 percent from 2002.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2004)