Mobile phone batteries labelled Motorola or Nokia exploded during safety tests done by the Guangdong provincial government.
Only 60 per cent of the 40 batteries tested passed, with three types labelled 'made by Motorola in China' and one claiming to have been made by 'Sanyo Energy in Beijing' exploding while charging, an official from the Industrial and Commercial Administration Bureau told Xinhua. 'Sanyo Energy in Beijing' is the battery producer for Nokia.
The tests were held in the first three months of the year, and all 40 samples were bought from markets in Guangdong cities, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Foshan, Guangzhou media reported.
A welder died in Gansu last month when his mobile phone battery - which was labelled Motorola - exploded.
It was believed to be the first fatality on the mainland caused by such an explosion.
Mainland media reports said that the battery was a fake. Reports of the accident have sparked widespread concern among mobile phone users.