SHENZHEN, April 17 (Xinhua ) -- Chinese information and communications technology solutions provider Huawei has obtained the world's first CE type examination certificate (TEC) for 5G products.

The certification indicates that Huawei's 5G products have won official approval for commercial use in Europe. It also "represents a significant step towards realizing large-scale commercial 5G deployment," the company said in a statement.

CE marking is compulsory for products imported to and sold within the European Economic Area. It is regarded as a stamp of approval for entering the European market.

Huawei started research on 5G products in 2009, and has invested at least 600 million dollars in related research. It has built 11 5G research centers across the world.

Huawei's net profit grew by 28 percent to 47.5 billion yuan (about 7.6 billion U.S. dollars) last year. Its sales increased by 16 percent from 2016, reaching 604 billion yuan.