Chinese regulator hints at better access for foreign cloud computing companies
- In 2018, China’s cloud market grew 76.5 per cent year on year to US$7.2 billion
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said it welcomes foreign company participation in its efforts to explore ways to further reform and open the country’s cloud services market, signalling a possible shift in the way Beijing controls access to the world’s fastest growing cloud market.
“Chinese regulators approve of foreign companies conducting cloud-computing business in China via cooperation with local firms,” said Wen Ku, director of the telecom department at MIIT, the main regulator of China’s cloud sector.
“Under the premise of obeying Chinese laws and policies, foreign companies are welcome to actively participate in the cloud computing market, explore effective ways to further open the market and help to boost the market,” he said in a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.
Wen’s statement, which still implied a requirement for local partners, came in response to previous reports that China was considering a “liberalisation pilot” project in one of its free trade zones that would allow foreign cloud computing providers to operate without a domestic partner.