BT Group will invest at least $70 million in China in the coming years as part of its efforts to more than double revenue in the country by 2009, a chinadaily.com report said.
The chinadaily.com report said the UK firm recently opened a technology and service center in Dalian and an R&D facility in Shanghai as part of the investment.
BT has recruited about 60 employees for its Dalian center to provide software development, service delivery and support for clients in China, Japan and South Korea, the report said.
Its R&D center in Shanghai, the fourth globally, will be used for research and will also provide services to clients in China, it added.
BT said it has signed an agreement with ZTE Corp, a Chinese telecom equipment and solution provider, to provide connection services for ZTE in the Asia-Pacific region and South America.
China's booming telecom market has proven enticing to overseas operators since the nation entered the World Trade Organization. Foreign operators can now take a stake of up to 49% in a joint venture providing 'basic services' such as voice telecom services, and a share of up to 50% in foreign-invested companies offering value-added telecom services.