Experts from the State-owned Asset Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) said last week that developing intellectual property for TD-SCDMA, China's 3G international standard, will allow China to take a leading role in the world's telecom market.

Lu Qijun, deputy minister from the Research Center of SASAC, addressed the 2006 China Telecom Economy Conference and said that China has entered the right stage for testing the 3G market, and it is time that China begins issuing 3G licenses.

Lu believes that the 3G international standard put forward by China should receive strong policy support, particularly on financing. He says that once China holds the 3G standard in its own hands, it does not have to pay high patent fees to foreign companies.

SASAC is the governing body of the large state-owned enterprises in China, so it has a direct role in making 3G policies.