Unicom wants partners

China Unicom is searching for domestic or overseas partners for its CDMA mobile services, which could help turn the business around, the South China Morning Post reported. A larger scale would help lower operating costs, but it is not clear whether Unicom intends to jettison the CDMA business at some stage. �By the end of this year, the telecommunications market will be opened up to foreign players under the World Trade Organization framework,� said chairman Chang Xiaobing. �We want to further explore co-operation with local or foreign partners, especially in the CDMA business.� A smooth transition from the CDMA network to 3G-enabled CDMA 2000 seems unlikely, particularly as the government has delayed announcing the regulatory framework for 3G services.