Nokia to close almost all sites in mainland China by year end, SCMP reports

Aug 18 (Reuters) - Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia plans to cut most of its workforce in mainland China and close sites in stages by year end, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the situation.

A Nokia spokesperson said the group has communicated earlier that it has been taking steps to better align its operations in China with its global operations, and that its China business has steadily declined in recent years years.

"Thus, we are adjusting our operational footprint in China to address this reality," the spokesperson said in an email.

Nokia did not immediately give any further detail on the changes.

(Reporting by Devika Nair in Bengaluru and Louise Rasmussen in Copenhagen; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)