Names like TCL, Ningbo Bird and Kejian all made a similar rapid rise nearly a decade ago, using their low-cost advantage and imported technology to quickly challenge global powerhouses like Nokia, Motorola and Samsung in their home market. But they disappeared almost as quickly as they rose due to their generic designs and inability to develop new models that catered to the latest trends in the rapidly changing market.
The rise of ZTE, Huawei, Lenovo and others could see history repeat itself, but it could also mark an important break with the past if the companies act shrewdly and invest heavily in new product development. Unlike TCL, Ningbo Bird and others from the earlier generation, the latest group of fast-risers are mostly very large companies with lots of money to invest in R&D. If they are smart, they will do just that. Otherwise, they could see their rapid rise quickly reverse and become an equally swift decline as they are overtaken by more innovative, big-spending foreign rivals.
Landmark building should respect the public's feeling
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