ZTE is in a difficult position. Considerably smaller in terms of network revenues and market share than Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia, it is also under the same threat of western sanctions as its larger compatriot – with less global scale to mitigate the effects. But it has some potential remedies. One is that it is less exposed to western markets than Huawei, since its customer base is more concentrated in Greater China, and in emerging Asia-Pacific and Africa/Middle East regions. This makes it very reliant on China in the near term, since many of its other strongholds will be making slower progress towards 5G, but it should provide a steady stream of opportunities in 4G expansion and future 5G. The…