A mobile phone joint venture between South Korea’s SK Telecom, Datang Telecom and Technology and Xinjiang Tiandi Group Telecom Industry is set to launch in January.

A mobile phone joint venture between South Korea’s SK Telecom, Datang Telecom and Technology and Xinjiang Tiandi Group Telecom Industry is set to launch in January. The joint venture has won approvals from both the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of the Information Industry (MII).

The new company will produce and sell phones for GSM and CDMA mobile networks in China and Central Asia. The company will also produce high-end mobile phones in an attempt to grab high-end market share, currently dominated by Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Samsung. The registration capitalfor the joint venture amounts to $25 million with SK Telecom taking a controlling share of 60 per cent. The Xinjiang Tiandi Group and Datang Telecom are to account for 25 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.