By end of 2018, active users of IPv6－the most recent version of Internet Protocol, had reached 270 million in China. IP is an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the internet. That number of users accounts for 33 percent of the country's total internet users, said Yang Xiaowei, deputy head of the Cyberspace Administration of China said.

IPv6 allows a much higher theoretical limit on the number of IP addresses than the more widely used IPv4 system.

Yang, speaking at a news conference, also said China now has about 130,000 5G base stations in operation nationwide. Moreover, the complete Beidou-3 global satellite positioning system also has improved the resolution to less than 10 meters, providing greater accuracy.

He said the country's digital economy has grown rapidly in the past year, with added economic value hitting 35.8 trillion yuan ($5.29 trillion), contributing 36.2 percent of the country's GDP.

Yang emphasized that China has paid special attention to supporting digital construction in rural areas. Fiber optic internet connections and 4G are available in more than 98 percent of villages.

About 12 million poor families in China benefit from preferential policies providing internet services at much lower prices."We will launch some pilot programs in the future, aiming to increase internet speed in rural areas," Yang said.

He added that the construction of digital China also benefits people with disabilities. "On the major e-commerce platforms, about 170,000 businesses are run by those people. Now, we are focusing on digital construction in rural areas," Yang said.

China had signed 197 cooperation agreements with 30 international organizations and 137 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative by the end of last year, officials said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Chinese enterprises have expanded their use of the internet, providing a solid foundation for resumption of industrial activities, according to Xie Shaofeng, spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

China has more than 70 big industrial internet platforms, connecting more than 40 million pieces of industrial equipment and serving more than 400,000 enterprises.

According to the ministry, more than 60 percent of companies around the country use e-commerce in their business.

"We will further promote the application of digital, information and intellectual technologies in manufacturing, encouraging technological innovations and launching some pilot programs to play a leading role," Xie said.

At Thursday's news conference held by the State Council Information Office, Zhao Long, vice-governor of Fujian province, announced that The Third Digital China Summit is scheduled to be held from Oct 12 to 14 in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province.

At this year's summit, with the theme "Innovation drives digital transformation; Intelligence promotes high quality development", visitors will experience the latest digital and information technology.