As competition over 6G development intensifies worldwide, China is stepping up efforts to deepen cooperation and push forward global standardization, as the upcoming 2025 6G Development Conference is scheduled to be held in Beijing from Nov 13 to 14.

The two-day event, to be held in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, or Beijing E-Town, will bring together leading scientists, policymakers and industry leaders from around the world to discuss 6G innovation, real-world applications and international cooperation.

Now in its fourth edition, the annual conference has evolved into China's most influential gathering on 6G, co-organized by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) and the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group, with support from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology and Beijing E-Town's administrative committee.

"The year 2025 marks a pivotal point, as global 6G standardization research officially begins," said Wang Zhiqin, head of the IMT-2030(6G) Promotion Group. "Innovation is speeding up and the direction of industrial development is becoming clearer. This is a moment that calls for collective wisdom and international cooperation."

The conference will feature keynote speeches from senior officials, academicians and international experts as part of seven parallel forums. The CAICT will also unveil new findings on intelligent integration, sensing/communication convergence and immersive connectivity, alongside results from the 2025 6G technology trials, added Wang, who is also vice-president of the CAICT.

Beijing has emerged as a front-runner in China's national 6G strategy, serving as both a policy incubator and innovation hub.

Su Guobin, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, said the capital has rolled out a comprehensive 6G innovation and industry cultivation plan, built around the concept of "one working group, one lab, two R&D bases and two industry clusters".

"In the north, Haidian and Changping districts have gathered leading research institutions and tech firms to form a hub for 6G breakthroughs," Su said. "In the southeast, Beijing E-Town and Tongzhou district are shaping industrial clusters that connect innovation with real-world applications. Beijing aims to develop a trillion yuan-level industrial cluster and become a global center for 6G innovation."

Within the capital, Beijing E-Town is taking a leading role in turning 6G research into reality. Li Yantao, deputy director of Beijing E-Town's administrative committee, said the area has launched China's first city-level 6G industrial policy and is building an open innovation community dubbed "6G SPACES". The initiative targets breakthroughs in intelligent connectivity, integrated sensing and space-ground communications.

Led by key enterprises, Beijing E-Town has already built an early-stage industrial network covering chips, base stations, terminals and satellite communication devices. "We are working to form a complete industrial ecosystem that connects R&D, production, testing and applications," Li said.

Beijing E-Town also plans to expand pilot programs integrating 6G with autonomous driving, smart manufacturing and logistics. Measures such as "first-order" incentives and testing vouchers will encourage collaboration and accelerate the path from lab to market.

China initiated 6G research as early as 2019, establishing the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group to coordinate national efforts. China currently leads in 6G-related patent applications, accounting for around 40 percent, ranking top worldwide.

Contact the writers at lijing2009@chinadaily.com.cn