MIIT Expands Pilot Program for Opening Up Value-Added Telecommunications Services

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has launched pilot programs in four regions to expand the opening up of value-added telecommunications services. The pilot regions include Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan, and Shenzhen. Foreign-owned enterprises are now allowed to operate Internet Data Centers (IDC) and online data processing and transaction processing businesses independently in these areas. This move aims to align with international high-standard economic and trade rules, enrich market supply, stimulate innovation vitality, and share the benefits of China's digital economy.

Explanation:

• Value-added telecommunications services: Refers to services that provide information-based value-added services on top of basic telecommunications services, such as cloud computing and data processing.
• Internet Data Center (IDC): Facilities that provide data storage, processing, and network services.