Unicom's chief tipped to head China Mobile -paper

HONG KONG, May 5 (Reuters) - The chairman of China Unicom, (0762.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Chang Xiaobing, may become chief executive of China Mobile (0941.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) as part of a reshuffling of China's telecommunication industry that is expected to begin later in May, a Hong Kong newspaper reported on Monday.

The South China Morning Post cited market sources as saying Chang would be in a key position to help out China Mobile's chairman, Wang Jianzhou, who was chairman of China Unicom before taking his present position in China Mobile.

A change at the top is expected to take place as early as May 17, on World Telecommunications Day, according to sources.

Under the reshuffle, China Telecom's (0728.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) chairman Wang Xiaochu could remain in his job, while Su Jinseng, director general of the telecommunications administration bureau in the Ministry of the Industry and Information, could become chief executive, the paper said.

Beijing is expected soon to kick off a long-awaited reshuffling of China's telecommunications sector that would involve acquisitions among the main telecoms players.

A shake-up of the industry, which encompasses the Unicom group, China Mobile (CHL.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), China Telecom and China Netcom (CN.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), is seen as a precursor to the issuance of licences to operate third-generation (3G) high-speed wireless services. (US$1=HK$7.8) (Reporting by Donny Kwok; editing by Ken Wills)