BEIJING -- China has so far built 993,000 5G base stations, covering more than 95 percent of counties and 35 percent of rural townships, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Tuesday.

The number of 5G mobile phone users has exceeded 392 million, the ministry said at the 2021 World 5G Convention that opened Tuesday in Beijing.

The meeting attracted over 1,500 industry experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs from 20 countries participating online and offline.

The convention, themed "5G+ By All For All," focuses on jointly building digital infrastructure, promoting industrial cooperation, and facilitating international cooperation and industrial chain collaboration and innovation in the field of 5G.

The three-day event features forums, exhibitions, and a 5G-based application design competition. Eight of 11 forums focus on 5G applications in the industrial internet, carbon reduction, health, education, the 2022 Winter Olympics, and the media.

The World 5G Convention is the world's first international conference in the 5G field. The first edition of this event took place in Beijing in 2019.