Ningbo Bird Co has turned red into black in 2006, after a loss of 471.2 million yuan (US$58.9 million) in the previous year, thanks to cost-cutting strategies. The No. 2 China-brand mobile phone maker will make a "slight profit" in 2006.

"We have consolidated resources to control costs, and that has improved our profit margin," said the firm, without providing detailed figures. Ningbo Bird said its short-term investments on funds also realized considerable returns last year.

Ningbo Bird, which was the No. 1 home-grown phone maker in 2005, is now No. 2 behind Lenovo, but the margin is narrow.

China's mobile phone makers continued to lose market share in 2006, but their profits are on the rise. China-brand handset makers held a 31.3 percent share of the world's biggest phone market in the third quarter last year, compared with 36.7 percent a year ago, and a peak of 52.9 percent three years ago.

The top four vendors, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, have expanded in the country. Their combined market share jumped to 62 percent in the third quarter, from 48.5 percent a year ago, CCID said.

Source:未知