China is spearheading the development of metaverse standards by assembling a task force comprising over 60 experts, including major tech companies such as Tencent and Huawei, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The initiative, part of a long-term strategy to boost the virtual world industry, aims to establish standards in manufacturing, communication, research, and talent development, creating a regulated metaverse ecosystem. With projections suggesting China’s metaverse industry will exceed $25 billion, the group will contribute to forming a comprehensive industrial framework. Participants also include Ant Group, Baidu, Lenovo, ZTE Corporation, Siemens China, NetEase, and Unicom. Academic representation comes from the University of Beijing, University of Shenzhen, University of Xiangtan, and other institutions. China’s metaverse proposals include integrating its controversial social credit system for digital identification within the virtual realm, as suggested by state-owned telecom company China Mobile. In contrast to global trends driven by private industry, China’s metaverse efforts align with governmental perspectives. The MIIT, in collaboration with local agencies, unveiled a plan to establish a national metaverse from 2023 to 2025, aiming to cultivate globally influential companies. The strategy envisions metaverse applications in sectors like aerospace, automotive, and appliances, incorporating technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual reality (VR). In 2023, various local governments presented plans to foster local metaverses, including Nanjing’s China Metaverse Technology and Application Innovation Platform and Zhengzhou’s funding initiative with over $1.4 billion to support metaverse companies. Shanghai, a technological and financial hub, also championed a similar initiative.