China Mobile, in a strategic shift, is focusing on data traffic management instead of sticking to the traditional voice business, according to the company's chairman.

Xi Guohua, chairman of China Mobile, said on Wednesday that the rapid growth of mobile Internet has seen an explosive growth in data, which creates both opportunities and challenges for telecom carriers.

"Data business is becoming a major revenue growth engine for operators, but voice services are experiencing a steady decline," Xi said, at an opening ceremony speech for the Mobile Asia Expo held in Shanghai.

During the first five months of this year, China Mobile's wireless data revenue increased by 61 percent year-on-year, while voice service sales dropped by 2.4 percent, according to the company.

Xi predicted that between 2012 and 2018, worldwide data traffic will have a compound annual growth rate of 50 percent.

In addition, the rise of data volume ignites demands for mobile Internet applications, promotes development of 4G technology and cloud computing." That all creates new development opportunities for telecom operators," Xi said.