Ningbo, a manufacturing powerhouse in southeastern Zhejiang province, became the first pilot city in China to implement Made in China 2025, the high-end manufacturing drive.

The move came as China's top industry regulator warned that enterprises and provinces need to refrain from rash action when stepping up efforts to advance the use of cutting-edge technology in factories and plants.

Xin Guobin, the vice-minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said it has somehow become a tradition in China that enterprises always rush headlong into action whenever enacting initiatives of national importance.

"We must guard against this trend when it comes to the Made in China 2025 drive," Xin said, "because it will affect our capability to upgrade manufacturing power and boost the quality of industrial products."

According to him, each province should base its own unique edge and current development status to implement the plan, rather than involving all industries as their priorities.

To prevent the trend, China picked Ningbo, which has good industrial foundations, as the pilot city to test what is the best way to promote smart manufacturing.

Tang Yijun, acting mayer of Ningbo, said the city will focus on smart equipment, hardware, services and self-driving systems to transform its current industrial structure.

In 2015, the industrial output of Ningbo reached 1,670 billion yuan, with strength in cars, petrochemicals, home appliances, clothing and other industries.

It is the country's largest processing base for refined oil products and houses the factories of leading car manufacturers Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co and Shanghai Volkswagen.

Xin said the central government will give enough effort to help Ningbo achieve its industrial transformation.