Chinese telecom operator China Unicom has announced plans to invest CNY5 billion to build its China-ASEAN regional information communication center and regional headquarters in Nanning.

This is reportedly China Unicom's fourth international communications service gateways following those in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. It is also a special regional international communications service gateway targeting the ten countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Chang Xiaobing, chairman of China Unicom, said at the ground-breaking ceremony that during recent years, the trade between China and ASEAN has been developing rapidly. By 2015, the trade volume between the two parties is expected to reach USD500 billion. Therefore, it is very important to build an international entrance leading to the ASEAN.

Lu Dongliang, general manager for China Unicom Guangxi branch, said that China Unicom's new Nanning headquarters base will cover an area of 150 mu, with total construction area of about 190,000 square meters and investments of CNY5 billion. The new project will include a regional international communications service gateway; an international direct data channel; a southwestern regional IDC and cloud computing center; a southwestern regional service outsourcing call center; an international comprehensive communication hub; a China-ASEAN exchange center; and an innovative business research and development center.

China Unicom will adopt next-generation information technologies such as cloud computing, cloud storage and Internet of Things in the construction of its Nanning headquarters base, aiming to improve the Internet and voice communication quality between users in China and ASEAN.