【英语中国】中国电信改变立场 有望推出苹果产品

China Telecom Corp. (CHA, 0728.HK), China's largest fixed-line operator, appears to be changing its position about possibly offering Apple products in the near future. Chief Executive Wang Xiaochu said at a press conference Tuesday that the company is evaluating market response for Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPad tablet computer before it holds any talks with the U.S. consumer electronics company. Previously, Wang has said the company isn't interested in offering Apple's popular iPhone because of high costs and stiff competition to secure the rights to sell the device in China

But Tuesday Wang said: 'If there's demand from customers, we welcome any creative new device. Our focus is to bring convenience and enjoyment to our customers. Since iPad has just been launched, it takes time for us to evaluate the product. Both of us [China Telecom and Apple] have to evaluate the market situation in China to see how large the market demand would be. It will determine whether we have any interest in any cooperation.'

China Telecom's more open approach toward Apple products signifies intensifying competition in the Chinese telecommunications market. The stiff competition may be motivating Chinese telecom operators to rely more on smartphones for growth--they can lure more high-paying customers to raise their average revenue per user and garner more market share.

Wang's comments came after China Mobile Ltd. (CHL, 0941.HK) Chief Executive Wang Jianzhou said earlier this month that China Mobile is interested in launching Apple's iPad in China. China Mobile is the world's biggest mobile operator in terms of subscribers. Rival China Unicom (Hong Kong)'s (CHU, 0762.HK) executive director, Lu Yimin, said recently it will actively study the possibility of offering the iPad. Unicom is Apple's partner for the sale of the iPhone in China, where sales of the device have been lackluster.

China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom compete as nationwide telecom service providers in the mainland after a government-directed industry restructuring merged six carriers into three in late 2008. Competition has been heating up following the issuance of third-generation mobile licenses in early 2009.

To increase the attractiveness of newly launched 3G services, China Unicom reached a deal with Apple and started offering the iPhone last October. China Mobile is also keen on bringing the iPhone that runs on home-grown 3G technology and it reiterated in March that it is still in talks with Apple over the launch of the iPhone in China. China Telecom meanwhile has been trying to beef up its handset line-up working with Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM, RIM.T) and Palm Inc. (PALM).

Strong sales of the iPad in the U.S., where more than 1 million of the computers were sold in a month, have led to delays in the product's international debut. Apple sold 500,000 iPads during the first week.

The iPad will become available on May 28 in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K. In the second round, the iPad is set to go on sale in July in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.

中国最大的固定电话运营商中国电信看来开始改变立场，有可能在不久的将来提供苹果公司(Apple Inc.)产品。中国电信总经理王晓初周二在新闻发布会上说，在与美国消费电子公司苹果举行任何谈判之前，公司在评估市场对苹果iPad平板电脑的反应。此前，王晓初曾说，由于确保在华销售权的成本高、竞争激烈，公司对提供广受欢迎的苹果iPhone不感兴趣。

不过，王晓初周二说，如果消费者有需求，我们欢迎任何创新产品。我们关注的焦点是为客户带来便利和享受。由于iPad刚刚推出，我们需要时间来对产品进行评估。中国电信和苹果都必须评估中国的市场形势，以了解市场需求将有多大。市场需求将决定我们是否有兴趣进行任何合作。

中国电信对苹果产品更开放的态度彰显出中国电信业市场日益激烈的竞争。激烈的竞争可能促使中国电信运营商更多地依赖智能手机实现增长──可以吸引更多付费较高的客户，以提高从每个用户获得的平均收入，赢得更多的市场份额。

在王晓初之前，中国移动首席执行长王建宙本月早些时候说，中国移动有兴趣在中国推出苹果iPad。中国移动是全球用户数量最大的手机运营商。其竞争对手中国联通总经理陆益民最近说，公司将积极研究提供iPad的可能性。中国联通是苹果iPhone在华销售的合作伙伴。iPhone在中国的销售情况平平。

在2008年底政府指导的行业重组将六家运营商合并为三家之后，中国移动、中国联通和中国电信作为大陆全国性电信服务提供商展开了竞争。2009年初3G牌照发放后，竞争变得更加激烈。

为了增加新推出的3G服务的吸引力，中国联通与苹果达成了一项协议，于去年10月开始提供iPhone手机。中国移动也热衷于推出可以在本土开发的3G技术上运行的iPhone。3月份该公司重申，仍在与苹果就在中国推出iPhone进行谈判。与此同时，中国电信则一直在努力与Research In Motion Ltd.和Palm Inc.合作扩大其手机产品阵容。

iPad在美国热销（一个月内销售逾100万台）使得其在国际市场上的亮相推迟。苹果在推出iPad的首周就销售了50万台。

5月28日，iPad将在澳大利亚、加拿大、法国、德国、意大利、日本、西班牙、瑞士和英国推出。在第二轮中，iPad将于7月份在奥地利、比利时、香港、爱尔兰、卢森堡、墨西哥、荷兰、新西兰和新加坡推出。