Indian state-owned telecommunications operator BSNL has announced that it has placed a purchase order of mobile communication equipment of 20 million GSM lines for India's southern zone to the Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei and will not call for any new bids.

While some companies around the world are responding to the financial crisis with job cuts, the newly issued 3G licenses in China have caused Ericsson to plan a hiring spree of several hundred new employees in China in 2009.

Global home appliances maker Electrolux has announced that its president for the China area Li Yan has departed from her position, replaced by Electrolux's president for Asia Pacific Gunilla Nordstrom, who will hold both posts concurrently.

Ericsson signed GSM expansion framework agreements this week with China Mobile and China Unicom valued at about US$1.3 billion and US$140 million, respectively.