People try on 5G mobile phones displayed at the 2019 World Internet of Things Expo, Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, Sept 7. [Photo by Xiao Da/chinadaily.com.cn]

China has started to build a new production base for soft copper clad laminate -- one of the key components used in the construction of 5G base stations -- in Jiangyin in eastern Jiangsu province, according to the Science and Technology Daily.

With an initial investment of 800 million yuan ($113 million), the production facility will cover an area of 1.5 million square meters and is expected to go into operation in December.

The plant will help expand the development of advanced communications materials and facilitate the building of 5G networks, the report said.

High-frequency copper clad laminates are key components in 5G base stations. With China's increasing efforts in building the stations, the market for the material is expected to witness high growth in the next two or three years, according to the report.