Chinese smartphone maker Oppo plans to open new stores in about 400 shopping malls in China this year, part of broader efforts to boost brand image and seek innovation-driven transformation.

At present, it has stores in 600 shopping malls. The new plan will increase its presence in a total of near 1,000 shopping malls by the end of this year.

The move comes as Oppo works hard to revive sales amid the COVID-19 outbreak and boost its brand image among consumers.

Wu Qiang, vice-president of Oppo, said the company's smartphone sales have been recovering rapidly, with some sales personnel undertaking product deliveries.

According to Wu, the company currently has 200,000 retail outlets across the country and has made great efforts to protect the health of all sales personal amid the outbreak.

Oppo is also striving to sharpen its technological edge through innovation. The World Intellectual Property Organization has announced the 2019 results of international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty System. OPPO is the top 5 PCT filer in the rankings by company applicants with 1,927 applications.

By filing one international patent application under the PCT, an international treaty with more than 150 contracting states, applicants can seek protection for inventions in a large number of countries.

By March 2020, Oppo had more than 43,000 global patent applications, with 16,000 already authorized. Among total applications about 88 percent, or more than 38,000, are invention-related.