(Telecompaper) Sony plans to ramp up marketing of its smartphones in the U.S. and China, according to CEO Kazuo Hirai. In an interview with the Nikkei at CES in Las Vegas, Hirai said the company has built a good foundation in Europe and Japan and now plans to go on the offensive in China and the US. "From now on, we'll put more resources into the US and Chinese markets," he said, noting this will include more money and more people. The CEO hopes to see results from the increased efforts within a year. The company plans to cultivate its customer base and offer a broader variety of handsets to increase sales. For the year ending 31 March, Sony plans to ship 42 million smartphones, roughly double the figure from two years earlier. "We hope to maintain the same growth pace as the past two years," Hirai said on the plans for the next two years.