The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has recently issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Information and Communication Industry," marking a strategic push to elevate the sector's quality and capability. The plan sets an ambitious target for 2030: the comprehensive establishment of a next-generation communication network with full coverage and leading performance. It also aims to accelerate the formation of a technologically advanced, secure, and controllable industrial system while building a modernized governance framework for the sector. The blueprint underscores the creation of robust, practical network and data security safeguards, with an eye toward significantly enhancing the industry's ability to empower other sectors and expand globally. This roadmap is designed to lay a solid foundation for the near-complete modernization of the information and communication industry by 2035.
A key pillar of the plan is the substantial upgrade of computing infrastructure. The strategy involves accelerating the construction of a nationwide integrated computing network, establishing a multi-tiered system spanning national hubs, regional centers, and edge nodes. This includes the orderly deployment of compute clusters at the 10,000-card and 100,000-card scale or higher for AI training, alongside the on-demand placement of inference computing facilities tailored to specific applications. The plan places significant emphasis on increasing the adoption of domestically produced AI computing chips and enhancing resource utilization through automated monitoring and improved supply-demand matching. Additionally, it calls for intensified research into core computing technologies, including forward-looking exploration of space-based computing capabilities, while refining industry standards and evaluation systems.
The plan also catalogues 13 key performance indicators across five critical areas: overall development, innovation, green growth, infrastructure, and application penetration. These metrics provide a comprehensive framework for measuring progress, ranging from industry revenue and infrastructure investment to R&D intensity and reductions in carbon emissions per unit of telecom business volume. The indicators cover the expansion of 5G base stations, fiber-optic ports, intelligent computing capacity, and advanced storage, as well as the proliferation of 5G users and the total number of connected devices.
Zhu Keli, founding dean of the Guoyan New Economic Research Institute, noted that the new metric system reflects a clear pivot from simply prioritizing scale growth to a more balanced approach that assesses network, computing, and storage development in tandem. He pointed out that the targeted growth in industry revenue, from 3.8 trillion to 4.1 trillion yuan, alongside a cumulative infrastructure investment of 3.8 trillion yuan over five years, is pragmatic and respects the sector's natural development cycle, focusing efforts on upgrading infrastructure quality and empowering other industries. The maintained R&D intensity of 4.7% signals a strong commitment to advancing core foundational technologies, pushing telecom operators and leading internet firms to boost their R&D spending on critical technologies rather than just applications.
Xie Cun, a spokesperson for the ministry, elaborated on what makes the new communication network truly "next-generation." He highlighted four transformative shifts: first, the expansion of connectivity from traditional individual users to encompass people, machines, objects, and embodied intelligence; second, the extension of coverage beyond terrestrial limits to achieve integrated connectivity across space, air, ground, and sea; third, a significant enhancement in connection capabilities, including deterministic and stable performance to meet the diverse needs of industrial applications; and fourth, an evolution in network functionality from simple information transmission to a deep integration of communication, perception, computing, intelligence, and security.
Artificial intelligence is undeniably a central theme throughout the plan. The ministry's interpretation emphasizes proactive measures to align with the convergence of AI and communication technologies, with targeted initiatives for developing intelligent computing power, constructing networks for interconnected intelligent agents, upgrading network intelligence, and establishing robust frameworks for AI service regulation and security governance. The plan's targets for intelligent computing capacity are particularly striking, with a projected leap from 1,590 EFLOPS in 2025 to 9,800 EFLOPS by 2030. Zhu Keli described this multi-fold expansion as the most significant signal from the plan, driven by the surge in demand from the AI industry. He noted that the goal is twofold: to significantly expand the supply base of intelligent computing, thereby stimulating growth across the entire industrial chain, from AI servers and high-speed optical interconnects to domestic chips and advanced storage, and to do so in a measured, coordinated way.
Importantly, the plan cautions against haphazard expansion, advocating for coordinated network-computing strategies and a multi-layered infrastructure approach that balances training and inference needs, all while adhering to strict green energy consumption limits to prevent idle or redundant construction. This strategic leap positions computing power as the core of new infrastructure, transitioning the industry from a connection-centric model to a new paradigm that integrates connectivity, computing, and data, thereby building the digital foundation for new quality productive forces.
Recognizing the current phase of decelerated growth and the absence of strong new growth drivers, the plan adopts a forward-looking approach during this "15th Five-Year Plan" period, which is seen as a transitional era for information and communication technology. The ministry has outlined 26 key tasks and 13 special projects across six broad areas: information infrastructure construction, industry system development, governance enhancement, network and data security, expansive application integration, and global expansion. A core principle is the "moderately advanced" construction of information infrastructure, which involves strategic deployment across network, computing, space, and green-intelligent integration.
Pan Helin, a member of the Ministry's expert committee, clarified that "moderately advanced" strikes a careful balance, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. He elaborated that this entails a phased rollout from pilots to broader adoption, a demand-driven and scenario-based deployment rather than blanket infrastructure building, and a blend of utilizing existing assets—such as integrating current 5G equipment into future 6G networks—alongside new construction. This measured approach aims to prevent redundant investments and idle resources by grounding feasibility assessments in strategic planning. The plan also sets out tasks in areas such as core technology breakthroughs, supply chain resilience, the establishment of a robust standards system, and fostering collaborative innovation among enterprises of all sizes, with dedicated special projects for 6G R&D and industry chain strengthening.
Furthermore, the plan aims to systematically refine the industry's governance system, covering foundational resource management, market oversight, equipment administration, service optimization, and emergency communication support. It also details initiatives to comprehensively enhance network and data security capabilities, including cybersecurity, data protection, and anti-fraud measures. On the application front, the focus is on expanding the integration of information technology into production, daily life, and social governance, with a particular special project for innovative industrial internet applications. Finally, the plan outlines a steady progression in the industry's global presence, including the construction of international information infrastructure, participation in setting global rules and standards, further opening of the telecommunications sector, and deepening international cooperation. In summary, according to Zhu Keli, this plan signifies a fundamental shift in the development logic of China's information and communication industry, moving away from a "network-first" priority of simply rolling out 5G and broadband toward a more sophisticated, multi-network collaborative model involving next-generation networks, computing networks, space-based systems, and integrated solutions.