In recent weeks, the global public’s attention has been drawn to the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on other global players, especially the PRC. Hence, part of the report on the work of the Chinese government, submitted to the National People’s Congress during the “two sessions” by Premier Li Qiang, which concerns the development of sixth-generation technologies, went completely unnoticed.
“We will direct mechanisms to increase funding for future industries and support industries such as biomanufacturing, quantum technology, advanced artificial intelligence, and 6G technology,” said the Chinese Premier in the report.
OUTPACING THE U.S. IN DEVELOPMENT
The Chinese newspaper “China Daily” notes that there is still no universally accepted definition of this technology, but it is expected that 6G networks should have significantly lower latency (the time between sending a request to a server and processing it), generally higher speeds, and wider bandwidth than 5G networks.
“More importantly, 6G will be able to support the integration of space, air, land, and sea communication technologies,” the paper stated, adding that China plans to commercialize 6G networks by 2030. After remarkable developmental strides in infrastructure—especially in railways, machinery production, computing equipment, mobile phones, telecommunications, space programs, and the automotive industry—China’s leap ahead in 6G technologies could grant it a visible and tangible technological advantage over the U.S.
“CHINA TELECOM” TAKES PIONEERING STEPS
Chinese media reported that the company “China Telecom” recently received a national patent for developing key 6G satellite-terrestrial integration technology, laying, as the paper says, a technical foundation for building a fully connected “space-air-land-sea” network. Research into technical standards begins in June.
“To promote the integration of satellite and terrestrial systems, ‘China Telecom’ leads the national project ‘6G Satellite Communication Access Technology and Networking,’ proposing an approach that uses terrestrial network technology to foster satellite communication development.”
Wang Zhiqin, leader of the IMT-2030 (6G) group, a government platform promoting 6G technologies and international cooperation, stated that China’s research into 6G technical standards will begin this June, with the technical research phase to be completed by 2027. The first version of the technical specifications for 6G standards is expected to be finalized by March 2029.
CHINA ALREADY HAS THE EDGE
Li Fuchang, director of the Wireless Technology Research Center at “China Unicom,” claims that about 70% of technologies used in 5G and 6G networks overlap and thus proposed an integrated approach to improving both based on 6G-led R&D demand.
Wen Ku, President of the China Communications Standards Association, observed that the EU, U.S., Japan, South Korea, and other regions are researching sixth-generation technologies, but China holds unique advantages thanks to its substantial 5G infrastructure progress, giving it an indisputable edge in 6G research. “Progress in 5G deployment is like building a good bridge and road for 6G, and efforts to promote widespread 5G application will lay a solid foundation for 6G development, which is still in its early stages,” Wen said.
TRIAL 6G NETWORK IS SET UP
According to “China Daily,” a team of Chinese telecommunications engineers in July last year established the first outdoor 6G trial site integrating communication and artificial intelligence. “The experimental network achieved significant improvements in key communication parameters, including capacity, coverage, and efficiency,” said Zhang Ping, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.
“China Daily” notes that this experimental network serves as a platform for institutions conducting theoretical research and initial verification of key 6G technologies, effectively lowering the entry threshold for 6G research and making it, as stated, more accessible for innovation.
A SERIES OF SECURITY QUESTIONS
After it became clear that China had caught up with its global competitors—primarily the U.S.—in 4G and 5G technologies, discussions on sixth-generation technologies began several years ago.
According to a study from the Institute for Strategic Studies, present in London, Washington, Singapore, Bahrain, and Berlin, the dramatic increase in capacity and reduction in latency for wireless data transmission promised by 6G will enable applications on new qualitative levels. These effects will reflect on comparative national economic performance and military capabilities.
The development of Chinese sixth-generation technologies could, therefore, crucially affect not only the tech race between the rising power and the U.S. but also spark a series of additional security concerns, beyond those already raised in the West by the application of Chinese 5G technologies.
IMPACT ON THE INTERNATIONAL BALANCE OF MILITARY CAPABILITIES
The Institute for Strategic Studies notes that national security concerns related to 5G networks focus on potential espionage and sabotage through equipment presence, while 6G networks will directly impact the international balance of military capabilities.
“For example, one expected military use of 6G is the rapid, reliable, and secure transfer of much larger amounts of data between fast-moving military platforms, including in space for early ballistic missile warning,” the Institute’s research indicates.
“So far, Washington has not prioritized new-generation telecommunications development to the same extent as Beijing, particularly in applying 5G infrastructure and services. As a result, the long-term weakening of the U.S. telecommunications equipment industry is occurring. At the same time, the U.S. still retains strength in its innovation ecosystems, and American companies are well positioned in key enabling technologies for next-gen telecoms, such as software and semiconductor technologies,” the study said.
DEVELOPMENT UNDER STATE AUSPICES
“China’s approach to technological development is state-led, aiming to direct all national resources under direct government influence, and manipulate markets and global standards to its advantage. This state-driven model has significantly helped Chinese firms and research institutions. From a negligible role in the global telecom industry in the 1980s, China now holds a lead in many aspects of 5G wireless telecommunications, laying a strong foundation for further progress. This is reflected in the metrics for 6G development, such as patent filings and implementation of relevant enabling or precursor technologies,” the Institute concluded.
TECHNOLOGICAL MILESTONE IN GEOPOLITICAL RELATIONS
Is China’s dependence on technological imports from the U.S. a thing of the past?
Until last year, Western countries led by the U.S. counted on China’s reliance on imported Western components. That strategy was “undermined” by breakthroughs made by Huawei and other Chinese manufacturers, as well as by the development of Chinese artificial intelligence. If a three-year-old study by the Institute for Strategic Studies predicted that China’s “capacity to develop 6G would face major constraints due to continued dependence on foreign technological inputs and the U.S. goal to target these dependencies through export controls and other measures,” today that is significantly less the case.
Therefore, China’s leap to G6 and the importance that G6 will hold for military security issues could indeed become one of the technological milestones in the geopolitical relationships of the 21st century. Yet the Institute for Strategic Studies made one forecast easily—and that forecast still holds true: the competition in 6G technology between China and the U.S. will increasingly expand to third-country markets, as more and more nations begin to build next-generation telecommunications infrastructure—with implications for international technological ecosystems and the global balance of technological, and thereby military, power.
100 GIGABITS PER SECOND TRANSFER SPEED
That China is not without chances in this technological, economic, and security showdown with the U.S. is also shown by an overlooked report from January 2 this year. The “South China Morning Post” from Hong Kong reported that China had made a major breakthrough in satellite-to-ground communication using lasers. This could pave the way for 6G networks and other applications, including remote sensing with ultra-high resolution and next-generation satellite positioning technology. Chinese researchers announced they had achieved image transfer speeds of 100 gigabits per second during testing.
“This success—10 times faster than the previous record—was achieved between the ground (a mobile station) and one of the 117 satellites currently comprising the ‘Jilin-1’ constellation,” said the company “Chang Guang Satellite,” which conducted the experiment.
AHEAD OF ELON MUSK’S STARLINK
According to Wang Hanghang, lead researcher at the aforementioned Chinese company, this development already puts “Chang Guang Satellite” ahead of Elon Musk’s “Starlink.” “Musk’s ‘Starlink’ revealed its laser communication system between satellites but has yet to implement satellite-to-ground communication via laser. We believe they might have the technology, but we’ve already begun large-scale implementation,” Wang stated.
“We plan to implement these laser communication units on all satellites in the ‘Jilin-1’ (satellite) constellation to improve their efficiency, aiming to connect 300 satellites by 2027,” Wang noted.
NEXT CHINESE STEPS
This information supports the view that China has indeed caught up with the U.S. in many areas of technological development and that, in the realm of 6G network development over the coming years, it could truly make a breakthrough and surpass its biggest global challenger.
Until then, according to Chinese media, China will continue to accelerate innovation research and development in the field of 6G technologies, while simultaneously enhancing its existing 5G mobile network to reach the level of 5G-A, according to a newly released plan for building data and infrastructure.
“Implementing this plan could accelerate the construction of a ‘digital China,’ promote the development of the digital economy, and enhance the modernization and digitalization of the national governance system,” said Wang Peng, a fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, to the Chinese newspaper “Global Times” earlier this year.
“By 2029, the basic structure of China’s data infrastructure will be largely completed, with a system for data circulation and use, an ecosystem for data-related industries, and a mechanism for data infrastructure construction and operations,” stated the “Global Times” at the beginning of the year, referencing a plan jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Data Administration, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST CHINESE MANUFACTURERS
The goal of the plan, the paper notes, is to define the future vision for data infrastructure development, guide progress in building this infrastructure, enable data circulation, encourage the development of data applications, and create a unified national data market.
China certainly draws its optimism from the success it has achieved with 5G technologies. Fifth-generation telecommunications devices have been installed not only in China but across the world, including in the United States, which subsequently launched an intense campaign against Chinese manufacturers under the pretext of threatening U.S. national security.
The development of Chinese fifth-generation technologies laid a strong foundation for the advancement of 6G, alongside continuous enhancements of what the Chinese refer to as 5G-A technology.
Supporting this are the numbers: by the end of November last year, China had built 4.19 million new 5G base stations. The 5G network is applied in 74 out of 97 major national economic categories. The country hosts over 15,000 projects involving 5G+ industrial internet, which efficiently promotes the growth of the manufacturing sector and marks the threshold of Chinese 6G technology.
