Apple revealed in a press release last Friday that the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the People's Republic of China has given the company the mandatory go-ahead to sell its latest iPhone - the iPhone 5 - in the country.

Announcing that the iPhone 5 will hit the China markets by the middle of this month, Apple said that the handset will be available in China Mainland by December 14.

Earlier reports have already revealed that the iPhone 5 will be available in China from two telecom providers, China Unicom and China Telecom; while the country's leading telecom company, China Mobile, will not be selling the handset for now.

Meanwhile, the press release by Apple also said that, along with the iPhone 5, two more Apple devices - the newly-released smaller iPad Mini tablet; and the latest fourth-generation iPad - will hit the Chinese markets soon. Both these tablets will be available in the country from December 7; one week before the iPhone 5.

About the current international availability of the iPhone 5, the iPad Mini and the new iPad, Apple said that "iPad Mini and the new fourth generation iPad with Retina display are currently available in 42 countries;" and added that iPhone 5 is presently being sold in 47 countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and Japan.