Beijing seizes development opportunities of digital economy

While 5G technology is being applied in various industries in China, 6G is also experiencing booming development in the country.

It is expected that China will set standards for 6G technology around 2025, and realize the commercialization of the technology around 2030, said Wang Zhiqin, vice president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

Researchers adjust a humanoid robot at the State Key Laboratory of Multimodal Artificial Intelligence Systems under the Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

Beijing has seized on the development opportunities provided by this forward-looking and innovative technology.

The capital is home to many of China's preeminent universities and research institutes in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, said an official of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission and Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park.

The official noted that the city boasts multiple national-level research platforms and nearly 100 top scholars in the field, making it a global hub for ICT academics, which provides fertile ground for the development of 6G technology.

According to the official, Beijing has so far laid out plans in areas such as base station equipment, terminal equipment, instruments and meters, and chip equipment, and built a relatively complete mobile communications industry chain. It's expected to be a new front for the future development of the 6G industry.

Beijing will also introduce an action plan for 6G technological innovation and industrial cultivation, and will accelerate the construction of a globally influential source of 6G original innovation and a 6G industrial cluster.

In recent years, Beijing has continuously increased its support for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

In 2023, Beijing introduced specific policies to promote AI technological innovation and industrial development. Focusing on areas including AI, the capital set up four 10 billion yuan-level (1 yuan equals $0.14) new government investment funds this year.

An autonomous sanitation truck works on a road at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in Beijing. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Beijing provides comprehensive support for the development of the AI industry, which includes support in policies, ecosystem for innovation, financing channels, and data openness, forming a favorable innovation ecosystem, said Chen Zhenjiao, a professor at the School of Information Technology and Management of the University of International Business and Economics.

As China's first national pilot zone for new-generation AI innovation and development, Beijing has formed a relatively complete AI industrial chain.

Data shows that in 2023, the core output value of Beijing's AI industry exceeded 250 billion yuan.

Beijing has stepped up efforts to turn itself into an international sci-tech innovation center. The city has built several public computing platforms in the past two years.

In March 2024, a public computing platform that can provide 3,000 petaflops of computing power was put into operation at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area.

The second phase of the independent innovation AI computing center of Chinese telecoms giant China Unicom was recently put into service at the Western Beijing AI Valley located in the Mentougou Park of the Zhongguancun Science Park in Mentougou district of Beijing.

Last year, the Western Beijing AI Valley, the city's first market-oriented AI computing center, was launched.

When the second phase starts operating, the computing power of the Western Beijing AI Valley will reach 500 petaflops, and will be able to serve more than 200 small and medium-sized enterprises and institutions.