Xiao Yaqing, minister of industry and information technology, talks to the media via video in Beijing on March 8, 2022. [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

China's industrial economy has seen stabilization in the first two months this year, and more efforts will be made to cope with challenges such as rising commodity prices and bottlenecks in supply chains, said Xiao Yaqing, minister of industry and information technology.

Xiao, who is also a deputy to the National People's Congress, said the industrial economy is running stably, but there are still many difficulties and problems, such as rising raw material prices, increased transportation costs, and changes in external environments.

The ministry will take more steps to get through the blockages in supply chains and industrial chains, such as the supply of staple commodities, as well as key parts and components, Xiao said.

More efforts will also be made to give full play to the nation's complete industrial system to stabilize supply chains and industrial chains.

Xiao said China has more than 1.42 million 5G base stations so far, and the number is expected to exceed 2 million by the end of this year.

It is necessary to continue increasing the research on core communications technologies, and at the same time, to consider the technology research of evolution to 6G, Xiao added.