China accelerates 6G core tech development, standards

China is systematically advancing the research and testing of key 6G technologies while speeding up the development of core technologies and standards for 6G, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

At the opening of the 2026 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Shanghai on Wednesday, MIIT Chief Engineer Zhong Zhihong outlined China's strategic roadmap for the information and communications industry, with a special focus on enhancing 6G technology.

"Promoting the accelerated maturation of technologies such as the integration of communications and intelligence, and unified communication and sensing. We are speeding up the development of 6G core technologies and standards, proactively planning and cultivating a 6G application industry ecosystem, and jointly safeguarding a unified global 6G standard," said Zhong.

The MIIT has already launched a collaborative pilot project across multiple provinces aiming to spur 6G innovation and development. The goal is to establish a range of independently developed 6G technology solutions by 2029, providing robust support for the 6G commercial implementation.

The action plan emphasizes strengthening the integration of communications with artificial intelligence, satellite internet, wireless sensing technologies, and system architectures to underpin 6G standard setting and industrial research and development. It also seeks to build regional 6G industry clusters tailored to local strengths.

Emerging 6G application scenarios targeted for cultivation include immersive communications, low-altitude economy, embodied intelligence, and smart ocean initiatives, all adapted to local conditions to accelerate practical 6G use cases across diverse fields.

China accelerates 6G core tech development, standards

The first railway to give Xizang in southwest China access to the national rail network has handled 104 million passenger trips and 824 million tonnes of cargo over the past two decades, the China Railway Qinghai-Xizang Group Co., Ltd. announced Friday.

Stretching 1,956 kilometers, the line linking Xining in northwest China's Qinghai Province with Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, went operational in July 2006.

The operator said the railway has maintained stable and safe operation for the past two decades, with steadily improved transport efficiency. Both passenger and freight services have seen remarkable growth, reshaping regional logistics and mobility patterns.

With improved railway services, new types of cargo, including cold-chain fresh products, e-commerce parcels and manufactured goods, have enriched supplies to the plateau region.

The once single railway line has evolved into an expanding high-altitude rail network exceeding 4,000 kilometers in total length, with multiple trunk lines still under construction, according to the operator.

Qinghai-Xizang Railway transports 100 million passenger trips in two decades