China has commenced the second-phase 6G technical trials after a reserve of more than 300 key technologies took shape in the first phase, said officials with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in Beijing on Wednesday.

Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Zhang Yunming said that the ministry is committed to advancing the deep integration of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation, with a particular emphasis on elevating the role of artificial intelligence in the industrial economy.

"During the first-phase 6G technical trials, China has formed a reserve of more than 300 key technologies. 5G and gigabit optical networks have been integrated into 91 of the 97 major categories of the national economy, while the industrial internet has achieved full coverage across 41 major industrial categories, injecting more vitality into economic and social development," he said.

China has established the world's largest information infrastructure, with nearly 4.84 million 5G base stations and more than 1.2 billion 5G users, said ministry spokesman Xie Cun, who is also the ministry's head of the information and communication development department.

"At the individual user level, China's 5G user base has exceeded 1.2 billion, accounting for 65.9 percent of all mobile phone users nationwide. China has completed the first-phase 6G research and development through technical trials, forming a reserve of more than 300 key 6G technologies. It has recently launched the second-phase 6G technical trials," he said."

Going forward, the ministry will further accelerate 6G research and development while stepping up forward-looking planning and fostering an application-oriented industrial ecosystem for 6G, Xie added.