China’s ZTE has set aggressive growth targets for the next few years, aiming to become a top three handset vendor by global shipments by 2015 (up from number six today). At a media briefing in London this morning, the company also stated in a presentation that, “within three years,” it “aims to be ranking among the top three in wireless competitiveness, among the top three in wireline competitiveness, and among the top five in mobile phone shipments.” It already claims to be the world’s number five telecoms infrastructure vendor, having overtaken Nortel and Motorola last year.

ZTE is confident its device ambitions can be achieved via organic growth. Although the company has been mentioned as a possible candidate for acquisition of Palm’s struggling smartphone business, Jim Jinghui, managing director of ZTE’s UK business, told Mobile Business Briefing that ZTE “should achieve our [top five] goal without acquiring [another business]… It might even take less than three years.” Jinghui stressed that acquisitions were not necessary at this stage. Traditionally an ODM manufacturer for operators, the company noted that it is now having to build its brand via marketing and advertising in an effort to secure future growth in the retail market. ZTE is embarking on such a strategy across Europe and North America, and cited a deal with France’s Bouygues where the operator’s handsets are “100 percent ZTE-branded.” Earlier this month ZTE announced a very strong set of full-year 2009 results (claiming the industry’s number one growth rate), details of which are available here.