Nokia sale of unit to Microsoft approved

The Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday agreed to conclude an antitrust investigation into the sale of Nokia Corp's devices and services division to Microsoft Corp, paving the way to boosting the two companies' business and sounding the alarm for Chinese smartphone makers.

The deal, announced in September, received approval from the European Commission, the United States Department of Justice and other jurisdictions, and is expected to close later this month.

Regulatory approval from China for the merger has been regarded as a critical final step.