Builders erect a 5G base station in Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on July 3. Photo: Xinhua

China is determinedly pushing 5G construction despite obstructions from some overseas countries and economic pressure from the coronavirus outbreak, with more than 400,000 5G base stations opened by the end of June, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) showed. 

In the first half of the year, China constructed 257,000 new 5G base stations, bringing the country's total to 410,000 by the end of June, according to MIIT data. 

A weekly average of over 15,000 new 5G base stations have been opened in recent weeks in China, said MIIT spokesperson Wen Ku during a press conference on Thursday. 

Wen said shipments of 5G smartphones have hit 86.23 million in China, while 66 million phones have already been sold. 

An industry insider told the Global Times that China is expected to build about 1 million 5G base stations by the end of this year, mostly in big cities. They will help push China's science and technology innovation over the next two years. 

China's ceaseless efforts to push 5G construction come at a time when the country is facing increasing pressure, not only from the coronavirus pandemic but also from external obstruction. Following the US crackdown on Huawei, the UK has recently decided to ban Huawei from its 5G network. 

The country's push for 5G and other high-tech industries is fueling a quick rebound for the country's high-tech industries. In the first half of the year, high-tech manufacturing industries in China saw their added values surge 4.5 percent on a yearly basis, a significant rebound from a 14.4 percent slump in January and February, MIIT data showed. 

Wen also noted that China's 5G construction has stimulated the development of the integrated circuit industry. In the first six months, China produced more than 100 billion integrated circuits, up 16.4 percent on a yearly basis.