China Unicom Chairman Chang Xiaobing said Wednesday that it is in talks with Apple Inc. to foray the popular iPhone in China.

“We are in talks with many handset suppliers, including Apple,” said the chairman to a group of reporters.

The words follow the unsuccessful prolonged negotiation between its rival China Mobile and Apple to roll out the smartphone in the country.

China Mobile chairman said the company will continue to pursue the talks and stayed away from commenting on the ongoing talks between China Unicom and Apple.

The dialogues between China Unicom and Apple, if materialized will give the Chinese telecom company a competitive edge over its competitor.