China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the country's top industry regulator, granted a license on Monday to China Unicom to operate satellite mobile communication services. The approval allows the State-owned telecom company to expand offerings such as direct-to-mobile satellite connectivity.

According to the ministry, the license will enable China Unicom to provide services for emergency response, maritime communications, and coverage in remote regions, broadening the range of telecom services and products available.

The ministry added that its next steps will focus on balancing industry development with security needs, refining market access rules for satellite communications, and strengthening oversight of the entire sector. The goal, it said, is to accelerate the high-quality growth of China's satellite communications industry and support national strategies for building a network power, a space power, and a digital China.