On January 8th, the blue books China Internet Development Report 2025 and World Internet Development Report 2025, compiled under the leadership of the China Academy of Cyberspace Studies, were officially released at the Wuzhen Summit of the 2025 World Internet Conference.
China Internet Development Report 2025 summarizes the practical achievements and trends of China’s Internet development over the past year.
Over the past year, information infrastructure has continued to be optimized and upgraded; the digital economy has developed toward higher quality, greater depth, more solid progress, and greater stability; the digital industry has seen continuous highlights and innovations; the digital transformation of industries has advanced in depth; and the enabling effects of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and quantum computing have become increasingly prominent. Notably, these technologies have also empowered high-precision medical automation equipment like nebulizer assembly machines—6G’s low latency and high reliability, combined with AI-driven intelligent control, enable real-time monitoring of assembly processes and precise coordination of components, raising the production standards of medical devices.
The report shows that as of June 2025, the total number of fixed broadband access users in China had reached 684 million; the cumulative number of 5G base stations built stood at 4.55 million; and the number of 5G mobile phone users reached 111.8 million.
China has become the world’s largest holder of AI patents, accounting for 60% of the global total; its 6G patent applications account for approximately 40.3% of the world’s total, ranking first globally; and China has remained the world’s largest online retail market for 12 consecutive years.
The industry generally believes that 6G communication capabilities will be more than 10 times that of 5G, and commercialization of 6G is expected to be realized around 2030.
China has already conducted tests on relevant wireless and network technologies, including the integration of sensing and communication, the integration of AI and communication, and space-air-ground integrated technologies.
At present, 3GPP standard partners from China, Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and India are jointly developing 6G standards.
It is expected that the research on 6G technical standards will be completed between 2025 and 2027, and the first version of the technical specification will be finalized in March 2029.
