(Yicai Global) March 17 -- Shares of Anysoft Information Technology and a news website of China's Xinhua News Agency jumped after they joined hands on a metaverse laboratory.

Mobile reading platform developer Anysoft's stock price [SHE: 300571] surged as much as 12.1 percent to CNY55.58 (USD8.80), the highest since January.

Xinhuanet [SHA: 603888] climbed as much as 8 percent intraday to CNY18.02. The shares are still down by more than a quarter this year.

Anysoft, the state-backed news website, and a subsidiary of telecoms giant China United Network Communications have inked an agreement to establish a research institution focusing on a network of virtual worlds, the Hangzhou-based software firm said in a statement today.

Xinhuanet will develop creative content involving super-video, augmented reality, virtual reality, extended reality, and digital humans, according to the agreement. Meanwhile, the mobile carrier's unit will promote the products to its clients.

Finally, Anysoft will help the lab attract technical experts and investment from internet firms. It will oversee the establishment of a metaverse industry development fund and a related alliance.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi