Huawei Technologies Co Ltd will step up efforts to offer public cloud services, as the telecom giant promotes a strategy to help companies accelerate their digital transformation, rotating CEO Xu Zhijun said on Tuesday.

"Starting from this year, Huawei will focus on public cloud services," Xu said in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. "We will invest heavily in building an open and trusted public cloud platform, which will be the foundation of a Huawei Cloud Family."

His comments followed the Shenzhen-based group's establishment of a cloud business unit this year, underlining that cloud computing will be one of its strategic priorities in the coming years. Huawei declined to disclose the specific investment size.

Xu said his company would develop public cloud platforms with telecom operators.

"Huawei has a sprawling partner network of telecom operators. We also have an extensive offline presence to directly serve corporate customers. That's our biggest edge," Xu said.

Founded in 1987, Huawei has emerged as China's largest telecom equipment maker and the world's third-biggest smartphone vendor.

But it is a relative newcomer to the cloud computing sector, where Microsoft Corp and Amazon.com Inc are locked in a race to dominate the nascent industry.

"Microsoft and Amazon Web Services have a strong presence in developed countries. But by teaming up with telecom operators in Europe, we can provide localized, secure and reliable public cloud services, which will help lure corporate customers," Xu said.

Huawei's partners include Deutsche Telekom AG, Spanish telecom carrier Telefonica SA and French telecom company Orange SA, which are helping it expand its overseas presence, said Zheng Yelai, president of Huawei's cloud business unit.