Digital News

Navigating the Trend of Digital and Intelligent Development to Further Advance Digital China

Liu Liehong, Member of the Party Leadership Group of the National Development and Reform Commission and Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the National Data Administration (NDA)

General Secretary Xi Jinping has gained keen insight into the development trends of the digital era and put forward a series of new ideas, perspectives and important assertions on building Digital China, charting the course for further advancing this initiative. The Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan makes specific arrangements for further advancing Digital China and enhancing the level of digital and intelligent development. We must earnestly study and implement these principles, fully understand the fundamental requirements and key tasks for advancing Digital China, and inject strong impetus into advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.

I. Studying and Implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Important Expositions on Building Digital China and Deeply Understanding the Significance of Further Advancing Digital China

General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to building Digital China. In 2015, he first put forward this major strategic vision and has since issued a series of important instructions, charting the course and providing strategic guidance for Digital China. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) made strategic arrangements for the task of “further advancing Digital China.” We must fully and accurately understand the historical, theoretical, and practical logic behind this endeavor.

(I) From a historical perspective, further advancing Digital China is an inevitable choice for following the broader trends toward digital, networked and intelligent development and maintaining the initiative in shaping the course of history

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has embraced the wave of development driven by mobile Internet and big data, implemented the strategies of building China into a cyber power and advancing national big data development, and expanded the space for the digital economy. In recent years, as digital technologies have achieved large-scale and clustered breakthroughs, China has accelerated the development of digital industries and the digital transformation of industries, while strengthening the development of the digital economy, digital society and digital government. At present, the global wave of digital and intelligent technologies, represented by artificial intelligence (AI), is sweeping across the world, profoundly reshaping modes of production and life, industrial organization and social governance. It brings both significant opportunities and new challenges for governance. At this critical juncture, further advancing Digital China requires us to seize the historic opportunities before us, make forward-looking arrangements for digital infrastructure, accelerate the deep integration of digital and intelligent technological innovation with industrial innovation, and advance digital and intelligent transformation across industries and sectors. These efforts will drive profound changes in modes of production and revolutionary leaps in productivity, enabling us to secure the initiative in development amid intensifying international competition.

(II) From a theoretical perspective, further advancing Digital China is an inherent requirement for enriching and developing socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics based on China’s realities and keeping pace with the times

The recognition of data as a factor of production has significantly enriched and advanced Marxist political economy. As a key factor of production following land, labor, capital, and technology, data is profoundly reshaping the structure of traditional productive forces, modes of production organization, and patterns of value distribution. At the same time, through integration with other factors of production, data is driving the formation of new quality productive forces and breaking through the inherent boundaries of traditional political economy theories concerning factors of production, economic growth, and other areas. In recent years, the effects of data-driven collaborative optimization, value enhancement through reuse, and integrated innovation have continued to grow. By breaking down barriers and facilitating circulation, data flows have guided and driven the efficient flow and allocation of technology, capital, talent, and material resources, improving total factor productivity and providing comprehensive support for economic and social development. Further advancing Digital China requires us to deepen our understanding of the characteristics of data and the underlying laws governing how data functions. We must advance the innovative allocation of data as a factor of production and promote its application across key industries and fields, fully unleashing its amplifying, synergistic, and multiplying effects on economic and social development. These efforts will provide strong support for cultivating and developing new quality productive forces, while also offering valuable practical experience and theoretical support for advancing the adaptation of Marxist political economy to the Chinese context and its development for our times.

(III) From a practical perspective, further advancing Digital China is a strategic support for coordinating the advancement of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and empowering high-quality development through digital and intelligent transformation

As early as 2000, while working in Fujian Province, Comrade Xi Jinping made strategic arrangements for building “Digital Fujian,” personally serving as head of the leading group for the initiative and overseeing the implementation of the “131” program (comprising one plan—the 10th Five-Year Plan for Digital Fujian; three projects—the Government Information Network Project, the Public Information Platform, and the Spatial Information Engineering Research Center; and one policy—the policy on information sharing). In 2003, while working in Zhejiang Province, Comrade Xi Jinping formulated the “Digital Zhejiang” strategy, proposed “promoting industrialization through informatization and advancing informatization through industrialization,” incorporated the development of “Digital Zhejiang” into the “Double-Eight Strategy” (a set of eight measures for future development proposed by Xi Jinping) and treated it as a strategic task, a foundational undertaking, and a leading policy priority. From local initiatives to a nationwide strategy, and from e-government to digital transformation across all sectors and throughout the entire process, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s consistent efforts over more than two decades to advance digital development through practice have charted the course for strengthening systemic coordination and advancing Digital China in an integrated manner. In 2023, the CPC Central Committee made the major decision to establish the National Data Administration, calling for better coordination in the planning and development of Digital China, the digital economy and digital society, and injecting strong digital momentum into high-quality development. At the new stage of development, further advancing Digital China requires us to continue basing our efforts on realities, combine a goal-oriented approach with a problem-oriented approach, strengthen coordinated digital and intelligent development across the economic, political, cultural, social and ecological civilization fields, and empower economic and social development while improving governance capacity in all respects.

II. Adapting to the Trends of the Digital and Intelligent Era and Accurately Understanding the Fundamental Requirements for Further Advancing Digital China

The 15th Five-Year Plan period is a crucial stage in the process of basically realizing socialist modernization, building on the past and opening up new prospects for the future. It is a key period for consolidating foundations and making all-round efforts. We must accurately understand the characteristics and requirements of Digital China development at this stage and stay firmly on the right course for advancing Digital China.

(I) Better Leveraging the Innovation-Driving Role of Digital and Intelligent Technologies and Data as a Factor of Production

General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the development of new quality productive forces must be given greater strategic priority. Innovation in digital and intelligent technologies serves as a key driving force, while data is a key factor of production. Together, they are not only essential for fostering new quality productive forces, but also important drivers for ensuring the sound and sustainable development of Digital China. At present, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating worldwide. China’s capacity for original innovation in key core digital technologies remains relatively limited, and there is still significant potential for unlocking the value of data as a factor of production. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must ensure that key core technologies in the digital sector remain firmly in our own hands and promote the efficient allocation of data as a factor of production. We must uphold technological innovation as the leading force, foster a sound innovation ecosystem, strengthen collaborative efforts among industry, universities, research institutes, and end users, accelerate efforts to tackle key technological challenges, and drive an overall leap forward in digital and intelligent technology industrial and innovation chains. We must advance scenario-driven innovation, actively promote the synergy between the “AI Plus” initiative and the “Data as a Factor ×” initiative, and continuously cultivate new growth drivers in the digital sector. We must strengthen institutional innovation, deepen reforms for the market-based allocation of data as a factor of production, promote the high-quality supply and compliant, efficient circulation and utilization of data, and better advance the market-oriented allocation and value realization of data as a factor of production.

(II) Making the Improvement of People’s Well-Being the Fundamental Value Principle

General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that, in planning economic and social development for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must remain true to our original aspiration, take improving people’s well-being as the fundamental value principle, continue to ensure and improve people’s well-being through development, and steadily promote common prosperity. Enabling all people to share more fully and fairly in the gains of modernization reflects the Party’s fundamental purpose and founding mission, and sets new requirements for further advancing Digital China. At present, imbalances in digital and intelligent development across regions and between urban and rural areas remain a challenge in China. The development of technologies such as artificial intelligence is having a profound impact on the labor market, while technological advancement has yet to fully meet people’s new expectations for a better life. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, further advancing Digital China requires us to place a people-centered approach in a more prominent position. We must ensure that demand guides supply and supply creates demand, strengthen the high-quality provision of digital products and services, promote more precise and efficient alignment between supply and demand, expand and upgrade the service sector, and fully unlock the potential of digital consumption. We must closely integrate investment in material resources with investment in people, focus on addressing weaknesses in digital services related to people’s livelihoods, and work to bridge the digital pide among regions, urban and rural areas, population groups, and basic public services. We must uphold the principles of technology for good, data for good, and algorithms for good, guide the platform economy toward sound and regulated development, enhance the job-creation effects of artificial intelligence, and enable people across society to share in the benefits of digital and intelligent development.

(III) Strengthening Systematic Advancement and Intensive Development

General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to adopt a systemic approach, act in the broader context, and coordinate efforts nationwide. Enhancing the overall integrity, systematic coordination, and synergy of Digital China development is a general requirement set by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council for advancing the overall development of Digital China. At present, digital and intelligent transformation across industries and sectors is accelerating, but challenges such as fragmented development and inconsistent standards remain. Coordination across departments, regions, and sectors needs to be further strengthened. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, further advancing Digital China requires adopting a holistic approach, strengthening strategic foresight, enhancing overall planning, and advancing integrated implementation. We must adhere to a nationwide coordinated approach, strengthen collaboration among government departments, between central and local authorities, and across regions, and establish a framework featuring horizontal coordination and vertical integration for advancing Digital China. We must properly balance stability and progress, reasonably manage the pace of technological iteration, balance innovation-driven development with operational stability, and coordinate the planning and orderly development of computing power infrastructure. We must promote interconnection and interoperability among various information systems and platforms, remove data barriers across levels and departments, and continuously enhance the overall effectiveness of Digital China development.

(IV) Firmly Upholding the Security Bottom Line in Digital and Intelligent Development

General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to coordinate development and security, fully implement the holistic approach to national security, improve the national security system, continuously strengthen economic and social resilience, effectively prevent and defuse various risks, and make every effort to safeguard national security and social stability. Building a robust digital security barrier is an inherent requirement for coordinating development and security under the new circumstances and ensuring the new development paradigm with a new security architecture. At present, traditional and emerging risks are becoming increasingly intertwined and mutually reinforcing. Cybersecurity and data security risks arising from applications such as large AI models and intelligent agents are becoming increasingly prominent, placing higher demands on digital security governance and risk prevention and control capabilities. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must better coordinate the two major imperatives of development and security and promote positive interaction between high-quality development and high-level security. We must uphold integrated planning and coordinated deployment, strengthen security capabilities in areas including cyberspace, data, and artificial intelligence, improve categorized and tiered protection mechanisms, and adopt targeted measures based on different data types and key industry scenarios, ensuring effective regulation where necessary while allowing flexibility where appropriate. We must strengthen collaborative regulation and multi-stakeholder governance, ensure that all parties fulfill their security responsibilities, improve cross-departmental coordination mechanisms for regulation, give full play to the role of industry self-regulation, and build a governance framework featuring joint prevention and coordinated response. We must maintain bottom-line thinking and prepare for worst-case scenarios, resolutely safeguard national security, and protect personal privacy and business secrets. We must comprehensively enhance our capabilities to accurately identify, intelligently assess, respond to and effectively mitigate emerging security risks through closed-loop management, and firmly prevent systemic risks from occurring.

(V) Placing Greater Emphasis on Deepening International Cooperation

General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to unswervingly expand high-standard opening up, uphold the multilateral trading system, consolidate traditional markets, explore emerging markets, expand international economic circulation, and promote more efficient connectivity between domestic and international markets. International cooperation in the digital sector is not only an important part of high-standard opening up, but also a key avenue for China to proactively shape the international landscape and foster new advantages in global cooperation and competition. At present, competition among major countries in areas such as data as a factor of production and artificial intelligence is intensifying, with complexity, severity, and uncertainty increasing significantly. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, further advancing Digital China requires placing greater emphasis on international cooperation and actively creating new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation in the digital sector. We must promote two-way connectivity and smoother market circulation. We must make better use of both domestic and international markets and resources, appropriately ease market access in the digital sector, facilitate the orderly flow of high-quality global digital innovation resources, and deepen digital economic and trade cooperation through multilateral and bilateral cooperation platforms. We must work together to share opportunities for market development. We must uphold inclusiveness and mutual benefit, promote common development, proactively provide international public goods in the digital sector, and help developing countries bridge the digital pide. We must uphold consultation and joint contribution, improve the global digital governance system, actively participate in international consultations on digital rules and the formulation of digital standards, and work to build an open, fair, and non-discriminatory global digital governance order.

III. Further Advancing Digital China and Enhancing Digital and Intelligent Development

The year 2026 marks the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. We must follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully understand the significance and historic mission of advancing Digital China during this period, and accurately grasp the new circumstances and requirements facing its development. We must further strengthen overall planning and coordination, and advance Digital China to a higher level, with digital and intelligent transformation as a key driver of high-quality development.

(I) Strengthening the Foundations for Advancing Digital China

To adapt to new trends in technological evolution and meet emerging application demands, we must accelerate the development of new infrastructure, unleash the value of new factors of production, and promote innovation and the application of new technologies. We must strengthen the efficient supply of computing power, algorithms, and data, and consolidate the foundations for digital and intelligent development.

First, we must advance the coordinated development and intensive, efficient utilization of digital infrastructure. We must accelerate the development of a nationwide integrated computing power network, promote the interconnection and pooling of perse heterogeneous computing resources, enable intelligent scheduling and convenient access, and coordinate energy allocation with the development of computing infrastructure. We must strengthen the planning and development of next-generation communication networks, accelerate the large-scale deployment and integrated application of 5G and gigabit optical networks, enhance the systemic competitiveness of satellite Internet, and coordinate the development of international information channels. We must develop and operate data infrastructure, build high-speed data transmission networks, enhance public service capabilities for data standardization, and establish bases for data annotation, circulation, delivery, and application. Focusing on water networks, new-type power grids, urban underground pipeline networks, and logistics networks, we must advance the digital and intelligent transformation of traditional infrastructure.

Second, we must further advance reforms for the market-based allocation of data as a factor of production. We must improve the basic systems governing data as a factor of production, establish a nationally unified framework for data property rights registration, and accelerate the improvement of data property rights and copyright systems adapted to the development of artificial intelligence. We must improve rules for data circulation and utilization, explore data benefit-sharing mechanisms that balance the interests of all parties, and build a nationally integrated data market featuring openness, sharing and security. We must improve mechanisms for the responsible development and utilization of public data resources and the compliant use of personal data, and promote the development and opening of enterprise and industry data resources. We must deepen national surveys of data resources and establish a unified national data resource ledger. We must continue implementing the “Data as a Factor ×” initiative, deepen the development of demonstration scenarios for putting public data into active use, and develop a range of replicable and scalable models and practices. We must build data industry clusters suited to local conditions, foster innovative data enterprises, and expand and strengthen the data industry.

Third, we must advance breakthroughs in key digital technologies and talent development in an integrated manner. We must deepen research, development, and application of key technologies in the data sector, and promote breakthroughs and innovative applications in key areas including data aggregation and management, storage and processing, analysis and utilization, circulation and governance, and security and trust. We must support the establishment of innovation platforms, including ministerial-level key laboratories in the data sector, and promote the commercialization and application of research outcomes. We must advance the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent in the data sector, support the establishment of disciplines and programs related to data as a factor of production, and launch initiatives to cultivate high-level digital talent. We must increase support for basic research and foster open-source projects and communities that are internationally competitive.

(II) Further Empowering All Industries Through Data as a Factor of Production and Digital and Intelligent Technologies

Proceeding from development realities, we must strengthen overall planning, promote coordinated digital and intelligent development across the economic, political, cultural, social and ecological civilization fields, and contribute to achieving high-quality development, a better quality of life and more efficient governance.

First, we must promote the deep integration of the real and digital economies. We must advance the innovation-driven development of core industries of the digital economy and establish a tiered development system for digital industrial clusters. We must implement data empowerment initiatives, accelerate the development of networks that facilitate digital and intelligent transformation, and build an ecosystem for digital and intelligent transformation across industries and sectors. We must develop smart agriculture, enhance the application of data as a factor of production in areas such as major crop cultivation and facility agriculture, and promote the digital and intelligent transformation of the entire agricultural industry chain. We must comprehensively advance intelligent upgrading, digital transformation, and networked connectivity in the manufacturing sector, and support national advanced manufacturing clusters in exploring innovative pathways for the deep integration of the real and digital economies. We must advance digital and intelligent transformation in the service sector, strengthen data-driven expansion and upgrading of services, and implement initiatives to boost digital consumption. We must accelerate the large-scale development of personalized and customized consumption, and promote steady growth in digital consumption.

Second, we must jointly build an inclusive and convenient digital society. We must accelerate digital and intelligent development in areas including education, healthcare, elderly care, social security, employment and consumption, promote inclusive and equitable access to digital public services, and expand application scenarios for digital and intelligent services in daily life. We must enhance digital social governance capabilities. We must promote the application of data as a factor of production and digital and intelligent technologies in areas such as grassroots governance, workplace safety, emergency management, public security prevention and control, and public health emergency response. We must improve capabilities for social situation awareness, risk early warning, and coordinated resource allocation. We must advance city-wide digital transformation, promote the digital renewal of cities, and explore future-oriented smart city governance models. We must advance the development of digital villages based on local conditions, enhance the level of digital and intelligent rural governance, and improve digital literacy and skills among the entire population.

Third, we must develop efficient, coordinated and intensive digital government services. We must strengthen system integration and overall coordination, enhance collaboration across government departments, industries and regions, promote the intensive development, interconnection and interoperability of government information systems and platforms, break down data barriers, reduce construction, operation and maintenance costs, and improve the effectiveness of government functions. We must expand integrated government service scenarios that streamline the handling of groups of related matters, promote new service models such as proactive benefit delivery without application and direct access to essential public services, and enhance smart and convenient public services. We must advance the development and application of the “One-Form System,” and integrate it with relevant government information systems. The system should be tailored to grassroots reporting needs, reducing repetitive submissions and enabling grassroots authorities to report information only once. We must establish a data warehouse for the system, implement the principle of “one data item, one source and one standard,” and strengthen data sharing and reuse.

Fourth, we must promote the flourishing of digital culture. We must increase the supply of high-quality online cultural products, foster a positive, healthy, and uplifting online cultural ecosystem, and promote the flourishing of new forms of mass culture and art in the Internet era. We must deepen the use of digital and intelligent technologies in the comprehensive protection and living inheritance of cultural heritage. We must leverage digital and intelligent technologies to improve production processes such as cultural creation and content moderation. We must guide the sound and well-regulated development of online literature, online games, and online audio-visual content. We must support mainstream media and Internet platforms in leveraging digital and intelligent technologies to enhance their international communication capabilities and tell China’s stories more effectively.

Fifth, we must build a green and intelligent digital ecological civilization. We must accelerate data integration and innovation in the field of ecological and environmental protection, and deepen the application of digital and intelligent technologies in areas such as green and low-carbon development and pollution prevention and control. We must strengthen green design for computing infrastructure, communication base stations, and other facilities, carry out energy-saving and carbon-reduction retrofits, and upgrade and replace energy-consuming equipment. We must promote the deep integration of digital and intelligent technologies with the energy industry and accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of energy. We must improve green, intelligent, and livable environments, promote low-carbon lifestyles such as cloud-based work, improve the national greenhouse gas emission factor database, and continuously strengthen foundational capabilities for addressing climate change and achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

(III) Continuously Improving the Environment for Digital and Intelligent Development

We must balance development with sound regulation, enhance the internationalization of the digital sector, foster a fair, well-regulated, inclusive, open, dynamic and orderly development environment, and fully unleash the endogenous drivers and innovation vitality of digital and intelligent development.

First, we must improve the digital governance ecosystem. We must accelerate the improvement of standard systems in the digital sector and refine statistical monitoring systems in areas such as data as a factor of production and the digital economy. We must further implement the employment-first strategy, support training programs that help workers adapt to job transitions brought about by digital and intelligent transformation, and guide the orderly development of new business models and new forms of employment. We must foster a regional development pattern featuring complementary strengths in digital and intelligent development, and promote coordinated regional development in this area. We must advance the innovative and sound development of the platform economy, and promote mutually beneficial development among platform enterprises, businesses operating on platforms, and platform workers.

Second, we must build a new framework for international cooperation in the digital sector. We must actively participate in the formulation of global digital governance rules and standards, advance global digital governance, and put forward China’s solutions for international rules in areas such as the digital economy and data property rights. We must give full play to the role of the World Data Organization and the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. Relying on multilateral and bilateral cooperation mechanisms and platforms such as the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Digital Economy Cooperation Platform, we will carry out practical exchanges and cooperation in the digital sector, jointly build a high-quality Digital Silk Road, and support eligible digital enterprises in expanding overseas in an orderly manner. We must promote the efficient, convenient, and secure cross-border flow of data and formulate compliance guidelines for cross-border data flows in key industries and fields.

Third,we must firmly safeguard the security baseline for the development of Digital China.We must enhance capabilities for cybersecurity and data security protection. We must deepen comprehensive cyberspace security governance and accelerate the development of cybersecurity defense systems. We must implement categorized and tiered data management, strengthen the application of new technologies for data security, and expand the supply of data security services. We must enhance security protection capabilities for new technologies, new business models, and new forms of operation. We must regularly conduct categorized and tiered management of new applications and security risk assessments. We must strengthen the development and management of online content, improve long-term mechanisms for cyberspace ecosystem governance, and foster a clean and healthy online environment.

Source: Issue 8,Chinese Cadres Tribune