(Xinhua via NewsEdge) China Telecom inaugurated its European branch as a strategic step in its plans for overseas development.
Speaking at the ceremony, which also marks the launch of China Telecom's Frankfurt and London international network nodes, Leng Rongquan, China Telecom executive deputy general manager, described the move as 'customer extension, services extension, and networks extension'.
'China Telecom Europe wants to play a major role in promoting trade between Europe and Asia,' Leng said. 'We want to better serve our customers with secure,reliable and cost effective telecommunications solutions.'
The founding of China Telecom (Europe), he said, would increase effectively China Telecom's competitive edge in the international telecommunications industry in addition to improving its brand values.
China Telecom is China's largest fixed-line network operator serving some 220 million fixed-line subscribers and 27 million broadband users.
The company pledges to continue its aggressive expansion into overseas markets to provide even better worldwide communication services for all its customers, especially for Chinese companies outside the mainland.
Brian Shaw, managing director of UK Trade and Investment, welcomed China's largest basic telephone operator to Britain, saying the move indicated that the country had a favorable environment for Chinese enterprises to explore overseas markets and enter Europe.
The European expansion is one aspect of the group's strategic growth plans and follows its move into North America, the Asia Pacific region and other key locations in central Asia.
© 2006 Xinhua
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