The three major carriers are state-owned enterprises.

China's three major carriers are China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. They are all state-owned enterprises, majority owned by the Chinese government.

Specifically, China Mobile is the largest mobile operator in China, with 60 percent of its shares held by the Chinese government and the remaining 40 percent traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. China Telecom, China's second-largest mobile carrier, is 51.33 percent owned by the Chinese government, with the remaining 48.67 percent traded on the New York Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

China Unicom, China's third-largest mobile carrier, is 61.18 percent owned by the Chinese government, with the remaining 38.82 percent traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The history of China's three largest operators

1. China Mobile: Founded in 1997, China Mobile was one of the first mobile operators in China. It has experienced a series of major events in the development of China Mobile, including its listing in Hong Kong in 1997, the launch of GSM services in 2000, the launch of TD-SCDMA services in 2008, and the launch of 4G services in 2013.

2. China Telecom: Founded in 1995, China Telecom is one of the earliest telecom operators in China. It has experienced a series of major events in the development of China Telecom, including its listing in New York in 1995, the launch of CDMA service in 2000, the launch of TD-SCDMA service in 2008, and the launch of 4G service in 2013.

3. China Unicom: Founded in 1994, China Unicom is one of the earliest telecom operators in China. In the course of China Unicom's development, it has experienced a series of major events, including its listing in New York in 1994, the launch of GSM service in 2000, the launch of TD-SCDMA service in 2008, and the launch of 4G service in 2013.

Refer to Baidu Encyclopedia - China's Three Major Operators for the above content