China looks to be stepping up its 6G development efforts, having reportedly kicked off the second phase of technical trials for the next-generation connectivity standard.

State media site Xinhua quoted officials from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) that initial efforts “yielded a reserve of over 300 key 6G technologies.”

Exactly what those technical trials would entail was not disclosed, with a ministry spokesperson instead proclaiming that China boasts “the world's largest information infrastructure,” including some 4.8 million 5G base stations.

The reported technical trial ramp-up comes as China is looking to get ahead in the 6G space. It already leads the way in terms of "6G" testing in non-terrestrial network (NTN) environments, while the GSMA listed China among the markets expected to see early 6G rollouts alongside the U.S., Europe, and India.

While no 6G specifications currently exist, with standards not anticipated to be finalized at some time in late 2028, that hasn't stopped vendors from gearing themselves up in anticipation of the potential next generation of connectivity.

But at the national level, China has sought to race ahead in terms of preparation, with state media previously claiming the country holds some 40% of the world’s 6G patent applications – though filing a vast array of patents doesn’t necessarily mean dominance in a particular market or field of technology.

An MIIT update from November 2025 detailed that China plans to “deepen industrial integration” for next-generation connectivity standards. Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Zhang Yunming even pledged that China would “promote global cooperation on 6G technology, 6G standards, and the 6G spectrum to strengthen coordination and maximize development benefits.”

Europe has sought to gain an advantage over its continental rival in one area of 6G testing: the cosmos, as European researchers unveiled a 6G testbed for exploring use cases in low-Earth orbit (LEO).

British satellite maker Open Cosmos fired the 6GStarLab into orbit aboard SpaceX's Transporter-15 mission late last year, which looked at testing 6G frequencies with multiband devices and features an optical terminal for improved satellite-to-ground links.