Smartphone maker Xiaomi woos buyers off mainland

Xiaomi Corp, a Beijing-based smartphone maker, faces branding and localization problems in its pursuit of rapid, healthy development beyond China's mainland.

Xiaomi - seeking to emulate the success of Apple Inc, the world's most valuable brand according to Forbe's - offered 1 million of its smartphones on Tuesday to woo mainland customers via its website and an additional 143,000 handsets to mobile phone shoppers in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. The promotion was part of the activities to mark the Mi Fan Festival, which falls on April 8.

The company expanded overseas last April, a move originally planned for the second half of 2012. Perhaps cautiously, it entered the Hong Kong and Taiwanese markets first, then moved further into Southeast Asia. It has no presence in Europe or North America.