HEFEI, May 17 -- China will promote the large-scale application of 5G and the industrial internet, and plan for future industries such as 6G, quantum information and brain-like intelligence, an official said on Wednesday in Hefei, capital city of east China's Anhui Province.

The innovative application of 5G and the industrial internet has unique advantages in improving the efficiency of resource allocation and facilitating economic circulation at home and abroad, Zhang Yunming, vice minister of industry and information technology, said at a meeting marking the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, celebrated every year on May 17.

The next generation of information and communication technologies has become an important engine for the country's high-quality development, he added.

"We will deepen the integration of 5G and the industrial internet to support the development of high-end, intelligent and green manufacturing industry," Zhang said.

The theme of this year's World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is "empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies."