CRI听力:2014 China International Telecom Exhibition Kicks off in Beijing

An International Telecommunications Exhibition is underway in Beijing.

This year's exhibition has attracted nearly 500 companies from over ten different countries and regions.

China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Miao Wei, has helped open the event.

"The telecommunications industry is a strategic, fundamental and leading industry in supporting national economic development. It also helps to improve national information levels and is an important power in advancing changes to the way China's economy works. As of this August, there are now 1.3-billion Chinese mobile phone users. There are also now over 500-million people on China's 3G network. This shows the telecommunication industry in China has made great strides in recent years."

Meanwhile, Miao Wei is also suggesting the new iPhone 6 is poised to hit the mainland market in the near future.

Miao is on-record saying the iPhone 6 is going through its final regulatory hurdles.

But the minister has declined to give an exact time-frame as to when the new phone might be available.

Apple has already been given the license to sell 4 different versions of the phone on the mainland market, including two which have been designed for use on China Mobile's 4G network.

But the company still has to secure a network license, which should be the last regulatory hurdle.