BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The number of 5G base stations in use across China has exceeded 1.96 million, said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Aerial photo taken on April 15, 2020 shows people working at the construction site of a 5G base station in Chongqing, southwest China. (Photo: Xinhua)

The high-quality industrial internet network covers over 300 cities in China, accelerating the transformation and upgrading of traditional Chinese enterprises, said Wang Peng, an official with the ministry.

The application penetration rate of the industrial internet in small and medium-sized enterprises has increased by nearly five percentage points in the past two years. And 83 percent of the enterprises said the production and operation efficiency has improved remarkably, noted a survey conducted by the Alliance of Industrial Internet.

Innovation in emerging industries such as "5G plus industrial internet" and edge computing has been vigorous, driving innovation in new industrial equipment, networks, and software, and improving the competitiveness of leading enterprises, said Wang.

The industrial internet identity analysis system plays a vital role in epidemic prevention and control, ensuring the smooth supply chain flow and the industrial operation monitoring process, Wang added.