China on Friday issued a three-year action plan to promote the innovative development of the metaverse industry, with one of the goals to strengthen the integration of new-generation information technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing and virtual reality.

Jointly released by five Chinese ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the plan, spanning from 2023 to 2025, outlines five major tasks, namely constructing advanced technological and industrial systems, fostering a 3D interactive industrial metaverse, creating immersive and interactive digital life applications, building systematic and complete industrial support, and establishing a safe and credible industrial governance system, with a series of concrete measures.

The metaverse is an immersive interconnected space where the digital and physical worlds merge, it was noted in the plan. It is also a future industry integrating innovation and application of the new-generation information technologies, and an advanced form integrating digital and real economy. 

It is expected to lead the development of the next-generation internet and accelerate the high-end, intelligent and green upgrading of manufacturing, supporting the construction of a modern industrial system, according to the plan.

Over the three-year course, the plan proposes making breakthroughs in technology, application and governance in the metaverse industry, making it an important growth pole of the digital economy and bringing its comprehensive strength to the world's advanced level.

It aims to cultivate three to five globally influential enterprises, and foster a number of new businesses, models and forms in fields such as consumption and public services.

For example, concerning consumption and tourism, services like 3D product model, digital human guide, digital collection, and extended reality tour can be provided.

In the long run, the plan targets achieving major breakthroughs in core technologies, such as data flow, content generation, digital twin, perception and interaction, as well as network and computing. It also aims to form a world leading metaverse industrial ecosystem, create a mature industrial metaverse, and build a healthy and sustainable industrial development environment.