China's National Data Administration (NDA) has announced an ambitious plan to develop a national digital infrastructure by 2029 to manage data as a key resource. The draft guidelines say that the growth of the digital economy has increased demand for “better data circulation, usage and value extraction”, highlighting the need for an active government role and a functional market. The document states that the aim is to create a national data infrastructure that balances efficiency with equity, accommodates the unique characteristics of data elements, and harnesses the value and utility of data. The guidelines aim to lay a solid foundation for the growth of the digital economy and advance the building of a “Digital China”, the Administration said.
Put together by the NDA, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the guidelines are open for public feedback until December 1. It comes amid growing global competition in technology and digital infrastructure, especially between China and the United States, where concerns about national security have intensified. The NDA in April said it would speed up construction of an integrated computing power network with a deadline of 2025 to scale up capacity by half. China is second only to the U.S. in terms of aggregated processing power.
The draft guideline states that efforts will be made to finish the top-level design of a national data infrastructure between 2024 and 2026, and to build an infrastructure that supports large-scale data circulation and interconnectivity, while fully integrating data networks and computing power facilities between 2027 and 2028. China will optimize and upgrade traditional network facilities, push ahead with 5G-A deployments from 5G, as well as speed up the research and development of 6G technology, the guideline states. 5G-A refers to 5G advanced technology, a crucial upgrade to the 5G network in functionality and coverage.
Data infrastructure means a new type of infrastructure that provides data collection, aggregation, transmission, processing, circulation, utilization, operation and security services. It integrates hardware, software, model algorithms, standards and specifications, and mechanism design. “China’s emphasis on the establishment of a national data infrastructure by 2029 is of great significance in promoting the high-quality development of the country’s digital economy and unleashing the value of massive data resources,” said Zhu Keli, Director of the China Institute of New Economy.
Data has become a new type of production factor and is playing an increasingly vital part in bolstering industrial digitalization, said Pan Helin, Member of the Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). China will also step up efforts to strengthen the classified management and protection of data; establish a high-quality data supply system covering public data, enterprise data and individual data; support the development of public service platforms for data circulation and trading; as well as expand application scenarios of data elements in key industries, the NDA said.
This overview is based on reports by the China Daily, the Global Times and the South China Morning Post.
