China's leading telecom equipment manufacturer, ZTE, is ranked third globally in patent applications.

The data has been released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

ZTE has been granted more than twelve thousand handset-related patents.

They hold 13 percent of the world's 4G-specific patents.

ZTE says it has the biggest market share among all Chinese cell phone companies in the U.S. market.

It is also one of the four most popular brands in the market.

The company earned 883 million yuan in net profits in the first quarter of this year, up almost 42 percent year on year.

Operating revenue increased by about 10 percent year on year to 21 billion yuan.