China\'s Huawei eyes smartphone supremacy after record 2018 sales

The political pressure is piling up for Huawei but so too sales, to record levels in 2018.

The Chinese maker of telco equipment - from aerials to handsets - on Thursday reported a 50 per cent jump in consumer business revenues for last year.

(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) HEAD OF HUAWEI'S CONSUMER BUSINESS GROUP, RICHARD YU, SAYING: "Consumer business sales exceeded 52 billion US dollars.

The consumer business group brought the biggest revenue source.

For the first time, the sale of our smartphones exceeded 200 million units." Putting Huawei, Yu said, on course to be the number one in the world even without the U.S. market.

In an upbeat forecast that contrasts with Apple and Samsung both sent a shiver through tech stocks when they flagged weakening sales in China.

Huawei plans to introduce a 5G foldable smartphone with its own chip in February.

It may know by then the fate of its CFO, the founder's daughter - arrested in Canada in relation to U.S. sanctions violations.

Reports this week suggested the U.S. would formally seek her extradition.

That comes as Washington and allies make moves to restrict market access for Huawei - alleging its products could be used by China for espionage.

On both counts, Huawei denies any wrongdoing.

Yu saying on Thursday it was only 'political guys' putting pressure on the telco.

Customers, he said, trust us.