"There are too few 3G handsets available," said Lou Qinjian, Vice Minister of Information Industry. He hopes Chinese mobile makers to launch the R&D and manufacturing of 3G cells as early as possible.

Lou warned that China cannot afford to miss the chance when the 3G development was obviously gaining momentum in the global market. In China, he regretted to see that the slow development of 3G mobiles had delayed the 3G licensing process.

The opportunity is here and looks golden. "As the mobile manufacturing has grown to be one of the important pillars of the country's electronics and information industry, China will certainly give more attention to the development of mobile sector," said Lou.

He recognized that effective policies would be necessary. He attributed the supportive policies at the budding stage of the home-made cell sector by the government to the high-speed growth of the sector in the past five years.

He promised policies to be worked out by his department to prop up the 3G mobile manufacturing.

The field test of 3G led by the Ministry of Information Industry was close to its finishing line, unveiled Wang Jianzhang, Director of Comprehensive Planning of the Ministry. He added the result of the test would lay a sound foundation for the future of China's 3G industry.

Wang also said that the test just part of the ministry's efforts on paving the way for the take-off of China's 3G sector. Besides that, he said, other preparations were also being made.

Wang released that the development of new technological standards would go side by side with the introduction of mature standards.

China's self-developed TD-SCDMA has made great breakthroughs which include a chip for commercial purpose. All of this promises the rosy prospect of China's 3G cell manufacturing.

By People's Daily Online