China recently unveiled its Three-Year Action Plan for the development of the metaverse sector in various industries. The giant Asian nation aims to focus on the application of the emerging technology in economic growth, job generation, and the application of intelligence solutions.
The Three-Year Action Plan Of China
The “Three-Year Action Plan for the Industrial Innovation and Development of the Metaverse (2023-2025)” was a product of the collaboration among the key agencies in China namely:
- The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
- The Ministry of Culture and Tourism
- The National Radio and Television Administration
- The Ministry of Education
- The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council
The action plan defines the metaverse as “an immersive interconnected space that integrates the digital and physical worlds.” The new plan was warmly welcomed by the entertainment, cultural, and tourism sectors where the immediate application of the technology is foreseen.
The action plan recommends the TV and entertainment industries to provide an immersive viewing for the audience through digital anchors. It also encourages museums and cultural sites to offer digital replicas of their exhibits to enhance visitor engagement.
“It’s the first national-level policy to support the application of the metaverse,” said China Cultural Industry Association expert Zang Zhipeng.
Zang revealed that major investments had already been poured into the metaverse. These resulted in the large-scale uses of the tech at the lighting ceremony of the 2023 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and the virtual celebrities at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
Popular shows like Mango TV’s Run for Time feature celebrities competing in a virtual environment. Its production team has established a virtual city in Xiamen, Fujian province, to serve as a staging area for fans who want to play the games presented on the show. Some members of the Chinese media have adopted digital hosts for their programs, too.
The Three-Year Action Plan caters to a growing trend among the youth who now prefer online activities, according to metaverse expert Ji Zhihui. “These young people will be the majority of the metaverse’s future residents. Our country is making policies for the future generations,” he commented.
Metaverse Resurgence in 2024
Bernard Marr, a renowned futurist and international best-selling author in the technology niche, identified phygital convergence as one of the top five tech trends to watch out for in 2024. “Phygital” is the fusion between the physical and digital realms within augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and the immersive Internet.
Marr forecasts a wider application of metaverse in the creation of “digital twins” based on real-world data. He believes these replicas could be used in the advancement of various fields, especially in the field of medicine.