5G, 6G at 'forefront' for high-quality development, digital transformation.

ISLAMABAD -- China's intensified push for the development of superfast wireless technology including 5G and 6G will further promote industrial upgrading and digital transformation in traditional sectors, providing new momentum for the country's economic growth, industry experts said.

They added that 5G technology has been widely combined with artificial intelligence and the internet of things, with a wide range of applications in fields such as virtual reality games, online education, unmanned vehicles and smart logistics. They also called for efforts to actively participate in the formulation of 6G-related international standards.

Their comments came after the top industry regulator said that China will accelerate the construction of 5G networks, expand the application of 5G technology in more fields, especially in manufacturing, and promote the research and development of 6G.

"Currently, China is at the global forefront of 5G development. The country has built more than 2.54 million 5G base stations, with the number of 5G smartphone users surpassing 575 million," said Jin Zhuanglong, Chinese minister of industry and information technology, adding China will build 600,000 5G base stations this year.

Jin made the remarks on the sidelines of this year's two sessions. Noting that 5G has been used in more than half of the major industrial sectors, including mining, ports, electricity and aviation, Jin called for efforts to expand the application of superfast wireless technology in more fields like manufacturing, China Daily reported.

He said the country will establish over 10,000 5G-empowered factories during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, as part of a broader drive to bolster the application of 5G technology in the industrial internet.

China is likely to spend 1.2 trillion yuan ($174.2 billion) on 5G network construction, which will drive more than 3.5 trillion yuan of investment in the upstream and downstream industrial chain and related sectors by 2025, according to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, a government think tank.

The 5G industry is expected to directly create over 3 million jobs by 2025, with aggregate information consumption brought by the commercialization of wireless technology surpassing 8.3 trillion yuan, the academy said.

Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, a telecom industry association, said China has entered a crucial period for 5G...

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