China Makes 6G Top Priority for 15th Five-Year Plan

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has declared 6G development the “top priority” for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), announcing plans to accelerate core technology breakthroughs and prepare for commercial deployment. The announcement came at a State Council Information Office press conference on August 26, where MIIT Information and Communication Development Department Director Liu Yulin outlined the country’s strategy for next-generation telecommunications leadership.

Context: Building on 5G Success

“6G will be the top priority during the 15th Five-Year Plan period,” Liu said at the press conference, according to Xinhua. “We will accelerate 6G core technology breakthroughs, continue 6G technology trials and standards development, promote 6G industry maturity and ecosystem building, and prepare for 6G commercial deployment.”

The 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly proposes making 6G and other future industries new economic growth points, building on two consecutive years of 6G being mentioned in the government work report. The policy push comes as China’s electronic information manufacturing industry has ranked first in revenue among 41 industrial sectors for 13 consecutive years, with mobile phone and computer production leading globally and display panel shipments accounting for over 75 percent of global share.

Technology Milestones and Roadmap

China has already completed the first phase of 6G technology trials, forming more than 300 key technology reserves. The second phase, involving prototype development and typical scenario testing, is now fully underway. The IMT-2030 (6G) promotion group is building a national-level 6G test platform, while 3GPP started 6G international standard development in 2025, with the first version expected by 2029.

According to Jiemian, four key technology directions have been identified: space-air-ground-sea integration, integrated sensing and communication, terahertz communication, and AI-native networks. China expects 6G commercial capability by 2030, with large-scale commercial deployment by 2035, according to estimates from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

Central Enterprises Mobilized

In a related development, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) held a “Central Enterprise 6G Future Industry Promotion Meeting” in late August, requiring central enterprises to fill technology gaps, strengthen basic theoretical innovation, and build a secure and stable 6G industry chain and supply chain. As Jiemian reported, central enterprises’ basic research investment has grown from 56.5 billion yuan in 2021 to 102.4 billion yuan in 2025, with 58 central enterprises building 97 original technology source bases.

Broader Strategy for Information Communications

Liu outlined a “four strengthenings” framework for the information and communications industry during the 15th Five-Year Plan period: strengthening systematic layout of new-generation communication networks, strengthening innovation-driven development, strengthening reform-driven approaches, and strengthening bottom-line thinking on security. This includes promoting large-scale application of 5G and industrial internet technologies in manufacturing, energy, healthcare, and tourism, while accelerating “AI + information communication” innovative development.

“On the demand side, we will deepen application enablement,” Liu said, as reported by China Industry News. “We will let information and communication technology integrate into workshop production lines, go deep into mines, and illuminate beautiful life.”

Global Competition Intensifies

The 6G push comes amid intensifying global competition in next-generation telecommunications. MIIT Vice Minister Zhang Yunming noted at the 2025 6G Development Conference that 6G will evolve toward stronger performance, higher intelligence, and broader coverage, giving rise to new scenarios such as communication-intelligence fusion, communication-sensing fusion, and satellite-terrestrial fusion. The MIIT website reported that 6G will expand from mobile communication technology evolution to cross-domain integration with AI and satellite internet.

Companies including Huawei, ZTE, and China’s three major telecom operators, as well as international players like NVIDIA, Vodafone, Apple, and Samsung, are all investing in 6G development.

What to Watch

As China accelerates its 6G push, key milestones to monitor include the progress of the second-phase technology trials, the development of the first 6G international standard by 3GPP in 2029, and the rollout of national-level test platforms. The Observer noted that the 15th Five-Year Plan also identifies quantum technology, biomanufacturing, hydrogen and nuclear fusion energy, brain-computer interfaces, and embodied intelligence as future industries to develop alongside 6G.

With commercial capability targeted for 2030 and large-scale deployment expected by 2035, China’s 6G strategy represents a long-term commitment to maintaining its position at the forefront of global telecommunications innovation. The coming years will reveal whether the country can translate its substantial technology reserves and policy momentum into commercial leadership in the next generation of wireless connectivity.