HONG KONG, March 8 (Reuters) - Chinese telecommunications equipment maker ZTE Corp has asked its U.S. business partners to apply for export licences, in line with U.S. restrictions imposed on the company, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Tuesday.

The source, who declined to be identified as the information was not public, also said ZTE’s purchases of U.S. technology components last year will not be enough to satisfy demand in a rapidly changing global technology industry.

ZTE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting By Yimou Lee; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Lincoln Feast)