Shang Bing, former vice-minister of the telecom watchdog the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, will take over China Mobile Ltd while Xi Guohua, its former head. [File Photo]

China's Big Three telecom carriers saw the biggest leadership reshuffle in more than a decade as the government changed the top executives of the three carriers on Monday.

Shang Bing, former vice-minister of the telecom watchdog the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, will take over China Mobile Ltd while Xi Guohua, its former head, retires, the company said.

Xi is 64 years old.

The top leaders of the smaller China Telecom Corp Ltd and China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd, or China Unicom will be replaced as well, according to the companies.

It was the first time in 11 years that the heads of the nation's top carriers were replaced. Leadership of the Big Three, all State-owned enterprises, are appointed by the Central government.