The phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sugar phosphotransferase system (sugar PTS), a major carbohydrate active transport system, catalyzes the phosphorylation of incoming sugar substrates concomitantly with their translocation across the cell membrane. The enzyme II ChbABC PTS system is involved in the transport of the chitin disaccharide N,N'-diacetylchitobiose (GlcNAc2) (PubMed:10913117). Also able to use N,N',N''-triacetyl chitotriose (GlcNAc3) (PubMed:10913117). By GlcNAc2, GlcNAc3 and beta-N,N'-diacetylchitobiose (Me-TCB). The EIIC type-3 domain forms the PTS system translocation channel and contains the specific substrate-binding site. Was originally (PubMed:2179047) characterized as part of a cryptic cel operon for a cellobiose degradation system. The Cel+ phenotype is due to mutations making expression chitobiose-independent and altering the substrate specificity.