Xiaomi is causing a fever

Xiaomi shares rose more than 3.5% after Chinese President Xi Jinping gifted a smartphone to South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.

Two Xiaomi smartphones were sent to Korea by China. Photo: Chosun .

Xiaomi was at the center of attention during the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on the sidelines of the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC 2025) forum in the coastal city of Gyeongju.

At the meeting, the Chinese President presented two Xiaomi smartphones to his Korean counterpart. Xi's interpreter also emphasized that the device's screen was made in Korea.

“Is this phone secure?” President Lee asked, drawing laughter. “Check to see if there is a back door,” President Xi replied through an interpreter, according to the Korea AngJoong Daily .

According to analysts, choosing Xiaomi smartphones as state gifts shows the company's position as a symbol of China's technological ambitions.

“Giving away Xiaomi smartphones is an important move both in terms of tech diplomacy and national pride,” said Su Lian Jye, an analyst at consulting firm Omdia .

The move underscores China’s confidence in its domestic tech brands amid geopolitical tensions, Su said, adding that it also “boosts confidence in innovation and the overall self-reliance of China’s tech industry.”

Agreeing, analyst Sanyam Chaurasia from Canalys said this shows China's recognition of Xiaomi as one of the country's leading technology brands.

“The move underscores Xiaomi’s high-quality design and technological innovation, in line with China’s ambition to move up the value chain in the consumer sector,” Chaurasia stressed.

On November 3, Xiaomi's Hong Kong-listed shares rose 3.52% to close at HK$44.72.

Chinese President and South Korean President during their meeting on November 1. Photo: Chosun .

Although not officially revealed by the parties, photos of the box show that the device Mr. Tap gave his counterpart was Xiaomi 15 Ultra, a model that the company just launched at the beginning of the year. This is also the first time Xiaomi smartphones have been used as state gifts, at least in the images shared publicly.

Earlier in October, SCMP reported that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro publicly praised Huawei’s Mate X6 smartphone, likely a gift from President Xi Jinping. Maduro described it as “the best phone in the world” and that US spies could not crack it.

According to market research firm IDC , Xiaomi ranked third in global smartphone market share in the third quarter, behind only Samsung and Apple.

In addition to the mobile sector, Xiaomi has also entered the electric vehicle market, which has seen fierce competition in China. The company will launch its first model in December 2023.

In September, Xiaomi launched its flagship smartphone series 17. CEO Lei Jun emphasized that this series "surpasses Apple's iPhone 17 in many aspects" such as thin and light design, camera system co-developed with Leica (Germany).

Source: https://znews.vn/xiaomi-gay-sot-post1599688.html