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China Telecom in talks with foreign companies
China Telecom said yesterday it was in talks with five overseas telecoms groups interested in taking strategic stakes in the country''s largest fixed-line operator.
China Telecom is the only big-four telecoms operator on the mainland that has not teamed up with a foreign company. Wang Xiaochu, chairman and chief executive, said the company would not pick a partner until it was granted a 3G mobile licence.
There is no rush for us to find a partner. Our value has not been fully represented because of the uncertainty over 3G, said Mr Wang, who declined to reveal with which companies China Telecom was in talks.
Foreign companies are eager to tap China - the world''s largest mobile market - as they seek growth outside their saturated home markets.
Although they are only allowed to take minority stakes in Chinese telecoms companies, having a local partner could give a foreign operator better access to other telecoms projects in China.
SK Telecom, South Korea''s top mobile company, this week announced the first alliance between an overseas operator and the Chinese government to help China develop its home-grown 3G standard, known as TD-SCDMA.
The news came two months after SK bought bonds convertible into a 6.7 per cent stake in China Unicom, the country''s second-largest wireless operator.
Vodafone has a small stake in China Mobile, the top wireless operator. China Netcom''s foreign partners are Hong Kong’s PCCW and Spain''s Telefonica.
Beijing is expected to issue 3G licences this year or early next year. Having a mobile licence would help China Telecom to regain growth momentum, especially after it announced its slowest half-year growth since 2002 as more people in China chose wireless phones over fixed lines.
一、参考译文:
中国最大的固话运营商中国电信(China Telecom)昨日表示,它正与5家有意收购其战略股份的海外电信集团进行洽谈。
中国电信是中国四大电信运营商中惟一一家尚未与外资公司结盟的公司。该公司董事长兼首席执行官王晓初表示,在得到第三代移动通信(3G)牌照之前,公司不会选定合作伙伴。
王晓初表示:“我们并不急于找合作伙伴。由于3G的不确定性,我们的价值还没有充分体现。”他拒绝透露中国电信正在与哪些公司进行谈判。
外资企业在其饱和的本土市场之外寻求增长时,都渴望进入中国这一全球最大的移动电话市场。
尽管它们只获准在中国的电信企业持有少数股份,但拥有一家当地合作伙伴,可让外资运营商更好地参与中国的其它电信项目。
韩国最大的移动通讯企业SK电讯(SK Telecom)本周宣布和中国政府结成联盟,帮助中国发展其自主研发的3G标准,即TD-SCDMA标准。这是中国政府首次与一家海外运营商结盟。
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