China's steel industry aims to achieve a high-quality growth featuring more advanced technology and equipment, stable resources supply, higher level of intelligence, enhanced global competitiveness and reduced emissions by 2025.

These were major goals set in a development guideline jointly released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The sector's innovation capacity will be significantly enhanced, with the R&D investment intensity, the numerical control rate of key processes and the digitalization rate of manufacturing equipment reaching 1.5 percent, 80 percent and 55 percent, respectively, the guideline noted, adding that more than 30 smart factories will be built by 2025.

Electric furnace steel production will be increased to over 15 percent of China's total crude steel output by then amid efforts to further optimize the industrial structure, the guideline stated.

To reach the 2030 goal of carbon emissions peaking, China will upgrade over 80 percent of steel production capacity to achieve ultra-low emissions, cut overall energy consumption per tonne of steel by more than 2 percent, and reduce water consumption intensity by more than 10 percent, the guideline noted.