In an effort to better serve international customers, China Telecom launched its Global Services Center Tuesday in Shanghai.

The company says the center is the first of its kind in the country.

Cheng Xiyuan, general manager of Shanghai Telecom and a director of the board of China Telecom, said: "The Global Service Center was established to meet ever growing service and communication requirements from overseas customers."

Insiders pointed out that China Telecom already has 90 percent of the Fortune 500 companies as major international accounts, a rapid increase from five years ago.

According to China Telecom employees, the center will be located in the downtown area of the city -- in the Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone in Pudong. It will mainly target multinational companies in Shanghai and other major cities in China.

Cheng said more than 120 agents will work in the center, offering multiple-language services by phone.

The center will operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week and its responsibilities include dealing with various service advice requirements, complaints and suggestions. The center will also deal with breakdown reports within international networks and pre-accepting requirements with some telecommunication services.

Meanwhile, the center will conduct market research and investigations for customers and pay return visits to customers in major cities all over the country.

More than 50 representatives from 32 large multinational companies such as Alcatel, Microsoft, HP, Sony, Maersk, Dell, Philips and Ericsson attended the opening ceremony.

(China Daily December 3, 2003)