By Rex Crum, MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Apple Inc. helped push the tech sector north Monday as the company confirmed that Chinese mobile-phone network operator China Mobile Ltd. will begin carrying the iPhone in January.

Apple (AAPL) climbed by 3%, to $565.42 after the company said China Mobile (CHL) would get the iPhone 5s and 5c on Jan. 14, and the carrier's customers can pre-register for the smartphone starting on Dec. 25.

Speculation that Apple would reach a deal with China Mobile had been growing in recent weeks, and a tie-up between the two companies was seen as one of the main tech topics to look for in 2014. China Mobile is the world's largest mobile-phone carrier in terms of customers, with an estimated 700 million subscribers to its network.

Among other leading tech stocks, Facebook Inc. (FB) shares rose 3.4%, to $56.98 as the social-networking company made its debut Monday on the S&P 500 Index.

Pandora Media Inc. (P) rose almost 4%, to $29.11, Twitter Inc. (TWTR) climbed by 3%, to $61.82, Netflix Inc. (NFLX) was up by almost 2% at $382.22 and Broadcom Corp. (BRCM) shares rose 2.3%, to $29.23.

The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) flexed its muscles and rose 31 points to 4,135, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) and the Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) were also in positive territory.

More tech stories from MarketWatch:

Top Tech Trends in 2014

Facebook, BlackBerry are stocks to watch

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires