Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang has advocated for a data law to be implemented in order to revitalise the Global Development Initiative. Ding, a member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee’s Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, made the statements during a speech at the opening ceremony of the 4th United Nations World Data Forum in Hangzhou, the capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province.
According to Ding, China has implemented the national cyber development strategy and the national big data strategy, promoting the deep integration of the internet, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI), constructing a digital China and smart society, and facilitating digital industrialisation and industrial digitalisation.
According to the Vice Premier, China will accelerate the innovative application of digital technologies, fully leverage the benefits of massive data scale and diverse application scenarios and promote efficient circulation in accordance with regulations to strengthen new economic drivers and provide strong support for high-quality development.
Ding advocated for a data-driven implementation of the Global Development Initiative to inject new vitality into sustainable development. He proposed a four-point solution.
First, the nation must uphold genuine multilateralism and strengthen global digital governance. He advocated for the elimination of digital barriers, the expansion of data interconnection, and the exploration of an equal, transparent, and cooperative digital partnership.
The second objective is to strengthen the application of digital innovation, accelerate the promotion of digital transformation, strengthen collaborative innovation of next-generation digital technologies, and promote the integration of digital technologies into all areas and the entire economic and social development process.
The third objective is to promote equitable development, bridge the digital divide, create an open, inclusive, fair, just, and nondiscriminatory environment for the development of the digital economy, increase the accessibility of the digital economy, and distribute the benefits of digital technology advancement.
The fourth objective is to collaborate to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, strengthen statistical monitoring of global poverty alleviation, food security, energy supply, and health, and measure the progress and outcomes of sustainable development in a timely and accurate manner.
China is recognising the potential of digital technologies and innovation to drive economic development and improve public services. The country has made significant investments in AI, big data, and other advanced technologies to support its vision for a data-powered future.
In addition, China’s intellectual property (IP) services have aided the country’s progress towards greater self-sufficiency in research and technology. The National Intellectual Property Administration’s head, Shen Changyu, stated that the administration has offered high-efficiency patent acquisition in major scientific research programmes and sent IP specialists to enterprises, universities, and institutions in the fields of chips, new energy, and biomedicine.
The administration has increased its efforts to establish national fast IP protection centres, which will provide “one-stop” services for rapid IP evaluation, verification, and protection. It developed national and local sub-centres across the country to advise Chinese firms on settling overseas intellectual property disputes.
Shen noted that the IP administration has created patent information service platforms for 13 industries, including semiconductors and rare earth, by focusing on crucial fields and technical frontiers.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s most recent ranking, China has risen to 11th place in the 2022 Global Innovation Index. Shen stated that the exceptional progress was inextricably linked to strong intellectual property protection.
