Since then, Chinese officials have leapt to the aid of the local telecommunications equipment maker and smartphone vendor. ZTE has made no secret of the fact that their latest high-end handsets are designed in the US, for the US. Last year saw a handful of energetic Chinese smartphone sellers throwing off ‘made-in-China’ stereotypes by releasing high-end smartphones. ZTE’s Relationship With US ConsumersThe latest case with ZTE brings to mind the riff between Huawei and the US government. While consumer sentiment may not be harmed by ZTE’s latest sanctions, a dip in quality components could.