China's three major telecom companies are currently undergoing a senior management reshuffle, aimed at forging a more cooperative relationship among the state-owned enterprises ahead of the 3G launch. China Unicom's Wang Jianzhou will take over China Mobile, the country's largest mobile phone operator. Chang Xaiobing, China Telecom's President and COO (Chief Operating Officer), will take the reins of China Unicom. The top position of China Telecom will then be filled by Wang Xiaochu, president and director of China Mobile. 

 

Considered a common practice in China's state-owned businesses, the position rotation at this level comes at a critical time. As 3G licenses will soon to be rolled out in China, the two largest fixed-line operators, China Telecom and China Network, have been gearing up for the next-generation services and look set to become mobile operators. Moreover, the reshuffle may also affect China Netcom, which is expected to go public in November in Hong Kong and New York.