Introduction

China Communications (ISSN 1673-5447) is an English-language monthly journal cosponsored by the China Institute of Communications (CIC) and IEEE Communications Society (IEEE ComSoc) towards readers in industry, universities, research and development organizations and government agencies in the field of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) all over the world.

Aiming at promoting worldwide academic exchange in the ICTs sector, CIC and the IEEE ComSoc are committed to publishing high-quality papers in China Communications to contribute to the global ICTs industry. The publication provides instant access to the latest articles and papers presenting leading-edge research achievement, tutorial overviews, and descriptions of significant practical applications of technology.

China Communications has been indexed in SCIE (Science Citation Index-Expanded) since January, 2007. In addition, all articles have been available in the IEEE Xplore digital library since January, 2013.  

Mission

To be committed to publishing high-quality papers to promote worldwide academic exchange in Information and Communications Technology as an enduring world-class journal.

The means by which we will achieve our mission are: 

·  Attracting and retaining the best experts in the Editorial Board; 
·  Focusing our efforts toward recruiting authors to the highest standards of   excellence; 
·  Being recognized among the world's top ICT journals;
·  Building partnerships with worldwide businesses, societies, research institutions, and universities. 

Scope

China Communications, published in English and in conformance with IEEE editorial standards, covers leading-edge research achievement, tutorial overviews, and descriptions of significant practical applications of technology in the broad field of information and communications technology (ICT).

This scope includes communication theory and techniques, systems and networks, applications, security, development and regulatory policies, standards, and management techniques. It also reports experiences and experiments, best practices and solutions, lessons learned, and case studies. 

Special Issue on Industrial Intelligence and Secure Interconnection 
Submission Date: 2026-03-15

Industrial intelligence and secure interconnection serve as the foundational platform and critical information infrastructure for new industrialization, carrying significant strategic importance. They not only function as the core engine driving the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing sector and ensuring stable socioeconomic operation but are also vital to enhancing national technological competitiveness and safeguarding industrial security.

Currently, the global industrial landscape is undergoing profound transformation. Major Western countries and relevant authoritative bodies, leveraging their first-mover advantages in industrial network standards and protocols, are actively constructing technical barriers and exclusive industrial ecosystems. According to the 2024 Industrial Network Market Share Report, foreign standards account for over 90% of the market share in mainstream industrial network protocols. Concurrently, China's industrial AI technology remains largely built upon the technical framework defined by Western academia and industry, characterized by deep learning and reinforcement learning. There is widespread reliance on AI computing equipment, training frameworks, foundational models, and data resources dominated by foreign vendors. This dependence has led to "industrial path locking" in key technologies, exposing China to severe “bottleneck” risks.

Against this backdrop, concentrating efforts to achieve independent breakthroughs in core technologies within the fields of industrial intelligence and secure interconnection, and gradually building a controllable industrial system and technological ecosystem domestically, have become urgent strategic tasks that both academia and industry in China must jointly undertake.

This special issue focuses on high-quality and original research papers related to key technical directions such as fundamental theories of industrial intelligence, secure interconnection of industrial networks, industrial large-scale models, and secure circulation of industrial data. Relevant topics for submission include, but are not limited to, the following:

Topics include (but not limited to):

1. Fundamental Theories of Industrial Intelligence
● Architecture of Industrial Intelligent Systems
● Intelligent Control and Decision-Making for Complex Industrial Processes
● Novel Industrial Networks with Native AI Applications
● Key Technologies for Testing, Verification, and Evaluation of Industrial Intelligence

2. Key Technologies for Industrial Large-Scale Models
● Core Model Technologies for Industrial Scenarios
● Multi-Model Collaboration in Industrial AI
● Key Technologies for High-Quality Industrial Datasets
● Empowering Production Processes with Industrial AI Models

3. Security and Protection in Industrial Intelligence
● Security in Industrial Data Processing
● Safety of Industrial Models and Algorithms
● Security of Industrial Intelligent Equipment and Products
● AI-Enhanced Security in Industrial Domains

4. Converged Technologies and System Applications
● Application of 5G/6G and Time-Sensitive Networking in Industry
● Co-Design and Verification of Industrial Intelligence and Security
● Autonomous and Controllable Industrial Operating Systems and Software
● Typical Industry Application Cases of Intelligent and Secure Interconnection

Important Dates

Submission Deadline: March 15, 2026
First-Round Notification: April 25, 2026
Minor Revision Deadline: May 25, 2026
Final Decision: June 15, 2026
Final Manuscript Due: June 30, 2026
Publication Date: August 15, 2026

Guest Editors

Wang Wei, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
Zhang Weizhe, Peng Cheng Laboratory, China
Li Hongwei, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China
Wang Junfeng, Sichuan University, China
Wen Mi, Shanghai University of Electric Power, China
Wang Jigang, ZTE Corporation, China