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MWC Barcelona 2020
Tech

China’s smartphone giants sending smaller contingent to world’s biggest mobile show amid coronavirus crisis

  • Companies like Huawei and Oppo have scaled back the size of staff taking part in MWC Barcelona this year
  • Employees from some of the major Chinese smartphone brands are being sent to Spain nearly three weeks ahead of the event

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Visitors use their smartphones as they stand next to a large 5G display inside Xiaomi Corp’s booth at MWC Barcelona, the world’s biggest mobile industry exhibition, in Spain in February of last year. Photo: Reuters
Zen Soo
China’s major smartphone companies have adjusted their preparations in Spain for the world’s biggest mobile exhibition – bringing a smaller contingent than in previous years and sending them weeks ahead of the event – as concerns rise that further restrictions might be imposed on mainland Chinese travellers because of the coronavirus outbreak.
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Huawei Technologies, ZTE Corp, Oppo and Xiaomi Corp are among the major Android smartphone makers expected to take part in the annual MWC Barcelona trade show, which will be held from February 24 to 27. The event, which is expected to have more than 109,000 attendees, will focus on the theme “limitless intelligent connectivity” delivered by 5G mobile systems.

As these Chinese smartphone giants have scaled back on staff taking part in MWC Barcelona, some firms have already sent assigned employees to Spain amid fears of more travel restrictions being imposed on mainland travellers and a further reduction of flights to and from China, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Countries like Italy, for example, have suspended passenger flights to and from China after two virus cases were confirmed in the country in late January.

Visitors check out smartphones on display in the booth of Huawei Technologies at trade show MWC Barcelona in Spain in February of last year. Photo: Xinhua
Visitors check out smartphones on display in the booth of Huawei Technologies at trade show MWC Barcelona in Spain in February of last year. Photo: Xinhua
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The safety precautions have been implemented by the Chinese firms as the coronavirus outbreak has resulted in 490 deaths, overtaking the number of fatalities caused by the Sars epidemic in 2003, and 24,324 confirmed cases around the country, according to data released on Wednesday morning by China’s National Health Commission.

Shenzhen-based ZTE, which announced on Wednesday that it will cancel a press conference at MWC Barcelona for the unveiling of its latest 5G devices, has already sent a group of employees to the city, nearly three weeks ahead of the event.

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