China's ZTE says 4G phones will be 40% of 2014 global smartphone shipments

ZTE Corp, the world's seventh-biggest smartphone maker, sees sales of 4G smartphones accounting for at least 40 percent of its global smartphone shipments in 2014, Zeng Xuezhong, ZTE's global head of mobile devices, told reporters at a Hong Kong press conference on Thursday.

Shenzhen-based ZTE, smaller than its cross-town rival Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, aims to ship 60 million smartphones in 2014, up 20 million units from last year.

ZTE returned to net profit last year after making a loss in 2012, it said on Wednesday. However operating revenue for the year dropped 10.6 percent, its biggest ever decline, to hit the lowest level in three years.