China opens up its vast telecoms sector to 13 foreign companies

The move is part of Beijing’s wider drive to reverse a slide in foreign direct investment and boost economic growth

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Premier Li Qiang visits a company owned by China Telecom in February. China has decided to allow 13 foreign companies to enter its vast telecommunications sector and compete with domestic giants including China Telecom. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 6:30pm, 28 Feb 2025

China has granted approval to 13 foreign-invested companies to begin operating in the country’s telecommunications sector on a pilot basis, as it steps up efforts to attract more foreign investment and revitalise its economy.

The permits granted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will allow the companies to offer value-added services in areas such as internet access and information services, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.

The companies included in the first batch of approvals are mainly Chinese affiliates of major overseas telecoms groups, such as German giants Deutsche Telekom and Siemens.

The permits will apply to projects in major Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as the island province of Hainan.

The move is part of a broader push by Beijing to open up more parts of the Chinese economy to foreign investors, as it strives to reverse a decline in foreign direct investment amid an economic slowdown and intensifying trade war with the United States.

In January, China’s actual foreign investment totalled 97.59 billion yuan (US$13.44 billion), down 13.4 per cent year on year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.