People attend the Smart China Expo 2021 at the Yuelai International Convention Center,
southwest China’s Chongqing municipality, Aug. 23, 2021. (Photo by Sun Kaifang/People’s Daily
Online)
Large batches of new stunning technologies and applications have been launched this year on a
series of internet industry forums and conferences, from the China International Big Data Industry
Expo 2021 to the Smart China Expo 2021 and from the ZGC Forum to the World Internet
Conference.
For instance, robots are employed today for offering services, disinfection, and security; the
Beidou Navigation Satellite System is widely applied; various forms of knowledge are being
imparted to machines and human beings by knowledge computing platforms.
They mirror the robust development of China’s digital economy, as well as the country’s efforts to
promote high-quality development and create a better life.
According to a 2021 report issued by the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies, China’s digital
economy hit 39.2 trillion yuan ($6.14 trillion) last year, up 9.7 percent yearly. The digital economy
has become an important propeller for stable economic growth, the report said. As of the end of
June this year, the numerical control rate of key processes in Chinese enterprises reached 53.7
percent, and the penetration rate of digital R&D and design tools came in at 73.7 percent. Besides,
over half of the market demand for intelligent equipment has been satisfied, and new applications,
including digital greenhouses, agricultural picking robots, remote working, smart logistics, and
unmanned ports, are constantly emerging. The development of the internet has entered a new stage
as the industry is seeping into every production sector.
Such progress is driven by the robust construction of information infrastructure and the continuous
advancement made in innovation capability. So far, China has built the world’s largest optic fiber
network and mobile internet. 5G base stations are set up in all prefecture-level cities, urban areas
in over 95 percent of the country’s counties, as well as 35 percent of townships. Communication is
no longer a problem troubling the country’s rural areas, as more than 99 percent of the country’s
administrative villages have been connected to optic fiber networks and the 4G mobile internet. It
has laid a solid foundation for China’s high-quality economic development.
Substantial progress has been made in the development of basic and general technologies.
Besides, 5G, quantum computing, high-end chips, high-performance computers, network
structure, basic operating system, satellite internet applications, industrial internet, smart
manufacturing, and other sectors have all made significant breakthroughs. They are an essential
force driving digital transformation.
The world today is fast-evolving, with many significant changes unseen in a century. The COVID-
19 pandemic has produced a far-reaching impact, and the world economic recovery faces stern
challenges. In the meantime, a new round of technological revolution and industrial
transformation is unfolding, driving the rapid development of digital technologies. All countries
take economic digitalization as a vital impetus when they pursue innovative development and
have made far-sighted deployment in frontier technology development, data sharing, privacy
protection, and talent cultivation.
The Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social
Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 requires China to create new
strengths for the digital economy. Taking full advantage of the massive data and rich application
scenarios, local governments across the country have rolled out relevant implementation schemes
and action plans to promote in-depth integration between digital technology and the real economy,
assist the upgrading of traditional industries, and build new industries, businesses, and modes.
