The press conference for the iCloud Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement is held in Guiyang, Guizhou province, on July 12. [Photo/news.gog.cn]

Apple will invest up to $1 billion in new data centers in Guizhou province to be operated by Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry Co Ltd, an enterprise owned by Guizhou's provincial government.

Under the partnership, Guizhou-Cloud will become the sole operating partner for Apple's iCloud service on the Chinese mainland. Apple will register a business entity in Guiyang to help build the data centers and offer technical support.

The cooperation brings the largest investment, widest range of services and biggest influence for the province since Guizhou started its big data strategy, according to Ma Ningyu, director-general of the province's big data bureau.

It is expected that the project will both help Apple meet local consumer demand for cloud services and help Guizhou connect with the outside world to become a hub for big data and information security.