China Unicom and China Telecom Signed Strategic Cooperation Agreement On 13 January 2016, China Unicom and China Telecom held a ceremony titled “Co-build and Co-share Resources; Enhance Customer Service” at Beijing to signify the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement. The main objectives of the two companies’ move to strengthen cooperation include: First, to build a new industry paradigm through open cooperation, resources sharing (including networks, business and services, etc.) and exploring co-operation at various levels. Second, to promote structural reform on the supply side (e.g. network and handset, etc.) to lower costs while improving operating efficiency, and, via enhancing supply-side quality, provide better networks and services to customers, which in turn will drive information consumption. Third, to provide a better information service environment to support the swift advancement of the government’s “Internet+” and “Made in China 2025” strategies.

In accordance with the agreement, the two companies will push forward strategic cooperation in the following five aspects: First, to deepen cooperation in network co-build and co-share so as to enhance network coverage more rapidly and enhance network service quality. During times of major disasters and emergencies, mutual efforts will be made to help each other’s business recovery with a view to enhancing the ability to safeguard emergency communications. Second, to enrich handset offerings to better fulfill customers’ diversified needs, and jointly promote six-mode handsets with “all network access” as a national standard. Third, to enhance network interconnection quality to improve customer perception. Fourth, to adopt a new mechanism on market-oriented basis to drive innovative business cooperation. Fifth, to raise the quality of international roaming service through joint cooperation with overseas operators.