Ministry sets out upgrading strategy

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the nation's top industry regulator, will roll out targeted policies to promote upgrading in specific industries, after China has built around 208 smart digital plants.

Vice-Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xin Guobin said efforts to advance smart manufacturing projects have attracted investment exceeding 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) in the past four years.

"More efforts will be made to strengthen the in-depth integration of cutting-edge technologies into the traditional manufacturing sector, in particular ancillary industries," Xin added.