A ZTE booth at China International Exhibition Center in Beijing last year. The company expects to ship 12 million smart terminals in 2011, almost 90 percent of which will be smartphones. [China Daily]

Chinese technology company ZTE will start producing tablets in Brazil in August, the company's Chairman, Hou Weigui, announced on Monday.

"We have made partnerships with local factories for the local production of tablets in August," he said during a meeting with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

The chairman added that the production of tablets is currently in test phase in Brazil.

ZTE, which has operated in Brazil since 2001, first announced its intention to produce tablets in the country in April, when Rousseff made her an official visit to China.

The company is building a large industrial park in the small town of Hortolandia in Sao Paulo state. The complex is expected to start operating in 2012, and will produce not only tablets but also cell phones.

ZTE plans to invest a total of 250 million U.S. dollars in its operations in Brazil. The company expects to employ some 2,500 people in the country by 2014.