The latest in China is that China Telecom hopes to offer Palm and RIM BlackBerry smartphones in China sometime early 2010 in a bid to gain share from larger mobile phone rivals reports an article on Reuters.

China Telecom is the smallest of the 3 top Chinese mobile operators and is fighting for its share of the world’s largest subscribers which is estimated at around 700 million, and hopes that their roll out of BlackBerry handsets will be a boost.

China Telecom doesn’t have any high profile smartphone tie ups with overseas manufacturers yet, but hopes to release Research In Motion’s BlackBerry handsets either by the end of the year or early 2010.

Back in June China Telecom has stated they had approached Research IN Motion with a view to offering BlackBerry services in China. A source has also stated that China Telecom is in talks with Palm over the possible release of Palm smartphones; however China Telecom has declined to comment.