Tech giants reveal 5G innovations in Barcelona

Ericsson's President & CEO Hans Vestberg shows a 5G chip as he delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 22, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Wang Shuai, Lenovo's vice-president, said: "The telecom market is expected to grow exponentially with 5G and other machine-to-machine communications technologies around the corner."

Xiaomi Corp, the Beijing-based smartphone maker, is also preparing for a brand announcement at the MWC.

The company, which claimed the Chinese smartphone market top spot last year, will debut its 2016 flagship Mi 5 device on Wednesday, which it claims is its fastest ever, and will be used to expand its overseas business.

Chinese companies have become increasing visible at international tech events to showcase their latest developments, particularly smartphones, wearables, drones and smart home applications.

More than 1,100 joined this year's CES in Las Vegas in January, double last year's number, making up a third of all exhibitors.