BEIJING, May 21 -- China will make policies to support the research and development of core virtual reality (VR) technology and facilitate its integration with other sectors, an official said Monday.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) will speed up the creation and revision of industry standards and promote the application of VR technology and products in other areas, said Luo Wen, vice minister of industry and information technology, at a press conference.

The VR industry has seen rapid development in China. The country's VR market expanded 164 percent in 2017 to reach 16 billion yuan (2.5 billion U.S. dollars), according to MIIT figures.

VR uses computer technology to simulate a virtual 3D environment that resembles reality. With the help of equipment such as helmets and glasses, users feel they are really experiencing virtual scenes.

VR can be widely used in artificial intelligence, education and training, medicine, gaming, tourism and virtual communities.