China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has recently granted approval to China Unicom to set up an international communications business inlet and outlet bureau in Qingdao.

Previously established only in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in 1994, the international communications business inlet and outlet bureau refers to a bureau of connectivity between Chinese telecommunications suppliers and their counterparts in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as well as overseas countries and regions in regard to communication networks, and is designed for interconnectivity and data exchange. Among the three international submarine cable landing sites in China, Qingdao is the sole international submarine cable landing site and large communication center for submarine cables in northern China, and therefore has the basic advantage for building an international communications business inlet and outlet bureau.

After garnering approval for operation, the Qingdao-based international communications business inlet and outlet bureau will further improve the international network landscape, enhance the position of Qingdao and even Shandong Province in the national or international internet architecture, and promote high-quality development of artificial intelligence, big data, digital finance and cross-border e-commerce in an effort to develop Qingdao into an international internet hub across the country and with global outreach.  (Sun Xin)