BEIJING — China ranks first globally in the production and sales of consumer electronics thanks to the country's improved innovation and brand building capacity, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Sept 20.

China remains an important global manufacturing base for consumer electronic products, attracting the world's major electronic producers to establish manufacturing bases and research and development centers, ministry official Xu Wenli said at a press conference.

The ministry will accelerate the cultivation of pioneer and pillar industries in the sector, and promote the development of new-generation audio-visual technology and the virtual reality industry, Xu said.

Efforts will also be made to boost the upgrading of content, computing, storage and display industrial chains, among others, Xu said, urging the integration and innovative development of new technologies in key industries to stimulate the consumption potential of the information industry.