Xiaomi eyes rural Internet startups

As a deputy to the National People's Congress, Lei has already raised a proposal at the ongoing annual session of the national legislature that the central government should further strengthen the online networks nationally.

The key is the laying of fiber-optical cables into an estimated 50,000 more villages across the country this year, which has already been highlighted in the Government Work Report.

He has also been urging domestic smartphone makers to introduce higher-quality, cheaper, and easier-to-use gadgets for low-income villagers.

Lei said that he has a great interest in virtual reality and is a user of it himself. The CEO of Xiaomi revealed that the company has already established an R&D team working on VR products.

Lei said the smartphone maker will continue to focus on the domestic market this year, but already it is looking overseas, particularly to India. But he insisted it has no plans yet for any moves further afield by 2017.

In recent months there has been market criticism that the company is dragging its heels in releasing its smartphones in other new overseas markets, such as the United States, because it has experienced difficulties in signing the necessary patents.

Lei insisted Xiaomi still puts huge emphasis on creating its own technology, but added it would also consider buying patents from world-class companies and patent agencies, if the need or opportunity arose.