China Telecom has promoted Han Fang, general manager of its audit department, to chief auditor of China Telecom Group, according to industry sources.
It marks the first time one of China's three major telecom operators has created a chief auditor position — a landmark move in strengthening internal controls, risk governance and compliance, and one that offers a fresh template for other state-owned central enterprises looking to modernize their corporate governance.
The three operators have long had chief accountants at the group level, but never a separate chief auditor. By creating the role, China Telecom is elevating audit to a higher level, giving the group stronger end-to-end risk oversight of major businesses ranging from investment and capital operations to digital projects and computing infrastructure.