China Telecommunications Group, the country's largest telecom operator, is moving its core organizations south to Shanghai, after its split last June.

The group started construction of the 2,200 mu (147 hectares) China Telecom Information Park yesterday in Nanhui County, south of the city, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.

Organizations to be moved to the park include the group's network monitoring center, research & development center and the Yellow Page branch.

China Telecom operates the former China Telecommunications Corp.'s business in southern China. The latter corporation was split into two parts last June, part of the country's key reform measure in the information industry to break the corporation's long monopoly.

After the split, the southern China business was merged into the current group and remained the name of China Telecom, while the northern China business was merged with China Net Communications Corp to form China Net Communications Group.

(Shanghai Daily December 30, 2003)