China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has approved licences for 166 foreign companies to pilot value-added telecommunications services (VAS), including internet data centres and information services, since February 2025. This move signals an increased market accessibility for foreign multinationals, with China lifting its previous 50 per cent foreign ownership cap to permit wholly foreign-owned enterprises within designated pilot zones like Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan, and Shenzhen. Despite this liberalisation, industry analysts believe the impact on China's domestic telecoms market will be limited, as the newly opened sectors are already highly competitive and the easing of restrictions is confined to these pilot areas.