'First lady effect' a possible boon for ZTE

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ZTE Corp, the Chinese cellphone maker, may get an unexpected boost in sales thanks to first lady Peng Liyuan.

During President Xi Jinping's ongoing trip through Europe, Peng was spotted taking pictures with the Nubia Z5 Mini handset, one of the latest models by the world's fourth-largest maker of cellphones.

"China Dream starts from 'Made-in-China'," said a post published on ZTE's micro blog after pictures of Peng using the device went viral on the Internet.

Netizens criticized Peng for using an iPhone on a trip to the US last June.

The recent pictures could be a boon to the company only two days after it announced 50 percent growth in shipments this year.

Despite having a bulk of China's mobile phone market share, ZTE has been under pressure to expand its product line, which has mostly been stocked with affordable phones, with more high-end devices.

But ZTE has good reason to feel confident that sales will rise. Peng's fashion choices have driven up sales for various Chinese companies and her popularity at both home and abroad is soaring.

Chen Zhimin, dean of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University in Shanghai, said it helps that Peng exudes an easy grace, a sincerity toward charities and has a confident grasp of conversational English.

"She promotes rural education and campaigns against tuberculosis for the World Health Organization. Her warm, friendly public image is helping to usher in a kind of openness and approachability that are fresh to the world," he said.

About the broadcaster:

Anne Ruisi is an editor at China Daily online with more than 30 years of experience as a newspaper editor and reporter. She has worked at newspapers in the U.S., including The Birmingham News in Alabama and City Newspaper of Rochester, N.Y.