MANILA - Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corp is talking to eight Chinese companies, mostly in telecoms, to form strategic partnerships as it aims to become a major player in the domestic telecoms market, its chairman said Tuesday.

Salvador Zamora, chairman of PT&T, told Reuters the company expects to sign by December 15 a deal with a Chinese firm providing broadband services. He said PT&T is looking for strategic partners to expand its broadband services and launch cellphone operations in the next few years.

Zamora in August bought into the Philippine firm, which provides broadband services in Manila and adjacent provinces.