China unveils plan to vastly expand industrial 5G private networks

China aims to build 50,000 industrial 5G private networks and boost the value-added of the industrial internet core industry to exceed 2.5 trillion yuan ($368.4 billion) by 2030, according to a landmark implementation plan jointly published on Monday by eight central government departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The plan sets these two headline targets as the cornerstone of a broader push to deepen the integration of the real economy with the digital economy.

By 2030, industrial internet applications are expected to cover all 207 industrial sub-categories.

The new targets build on the significant progress already achieved. By the end of 2025, the industrial internet core industry value-added had reached 1.67 trillion yuan. A total of 1,260 5G factories have been established nationwide.

China is already building a comprehensive evaluation system for industrial large language models and intelligent agents. The China Academy of Industrial Internet has independently developed an automated testing platform that has assessed nearly 200 AI large models from both domestic and international companies, laying a solid foundation for the AI-driven industrial future.

The plan also calls for the cultivation of a number of tiered, distinctive 5G factories and the establishment of around five comprehensive industrial internet platforms with global influence.