Statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology show that the output value of China's equipment manufacturing industry surpassed 20 trillion yuan or 3.2 trillion US dollars, in 2013.

But analysts warn with labor costs rising, China's manufacturing industry will be increasingly restricted by a shortage of workers. Upgrading China's traditional manufacturing to one that characterized by automation, digitalization and intelligence will be an urgent task.

Guangdong Province's Dongguan has released its own initiative to upgrade its manufacturing sector under the framework of the Made-in-China 2025. The city aims to use digital technology and industrial automation to replace traditional manufacturing techniques.

Foshan, also in Guangdong Province, has set a goal of transforming its manufacturing sector with the principles under Industry 4.0. The city will also use cloud computing and the Internet of Things to guide its manufacturing and upgrade its value chain.