Digital News

　　Recently, the Regulations on Government Data Sharing (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations) were officially released and will come into effect on August 1, 2025. For the first time at the national level, the Regulations provide a legal framework in the form of administrative regulations to govern government data catalog management, data sharing and usage, and platform support. They also set clear guidelines regarding the management structure, safeguards, and legal responsibilities involved.

　　Government data refers to various types of data collected and generated by government departments in the course of fulfilling their lawful duties, excluding data classified as state or work secrets. Government data sharing refers to the act of government departments using the data of other departments or providing their data to other departments to fulfil official responsibilities. The Regulations establish a comprehensive, multi-dimensional management framework for data sharing, thereby breaking down “data barriers”, streamlining data transmission, and providing institutional guarantees for secure and efficient sharing. This move strengthens the effectiveness of public services and the government’s digital governance capabilities, marking a new stage in China’s government data sharing efforts.

　　Today, as the wave of digital transformation sweeps across the globe, emerging technologies such as big data, cloud computing, blockchain, and artificial intelligence are being rapidly and widely adopted. These technologies have laid a solid technical foundation for building digital governments and have underscored the strategic value of government data as a fundamental national resource. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the country has launched a series of major initiatives to implement big data strategies and strengthen digital government development, with an emphasis on top-level design and coordinated efforts to promote open and shared government data. In recent years, China has proactively advanced government data sharing, introducing key policy documents such as the Interim Measures for the Management of Government Information Resource Sharing and the Implementation Plan for the Integration and Sharing of Government Information Systems. These efforts have addressed bottlenecks in the data sharing process, responded to growing public expectations for digital governance, and significantly improved the security, orderliness, and efficiency of data sharing, thereby facilitating smoother and more effective grassroots governance.

　　Nonetheless, government data sharing still faces several challenges. For example, many departments have developed independent data systems over time, which remain disconnected and difficult to integrate. On the technical side, government information systems across different departments and regions were often built at different times and based on varying technical architectures and standards, leading to inconsistencies in data formats and compatibility issues. In addition, for cross-regional data-sharing disputes, inconsistent policies across regions often hinder timely resolution, impeding the further advancement of data sharing. Therefore, dismantling “data silos” and eliminating “data barriers” has become a pressing need to improve resource utilization, enhance administrative efficiency, and elevate the quality of public services.

　　In recent years, various regions and departments across China have strengthened collaboration and communication to open up data-sharing channels across departments, administrative levels, regions, business domains, and systems, thereby promoting the secure and efficient sharing of government data. Through active exploration, efforts have been made to build unified data-sharing platforms, formulate standardized data-sharing protocols and procedures, clarify the responsibilities and rights of each department in the sharing process, and strengthen the development and application of data security technologies to ensure the security and integrity of data throughout the sharing process. Ongoing innovation and practical exploration in multiple regions have laid a solid foundation for the effective implementation of the Regulations.

　　Since last year, the National Data Administration has released a total of 70 demonstration scenarios showcasing how public data can be “leveraged”, covering areas such as transportation, healthcare, elderly care, and public services. These include applications like intelligent education agents, emergency rescue on expressways, and smart farmland development, contributing to industrial growth, social governance, and the improvement of public well-being. For example, in Shandong Province, the “One-stop Online Government Service” initiative allows applicants to submit documents once via a unified platform, enabling departments to handle matters collaboratively through data sharing. This greatly streamlines administrative procedures, enhances efficiency, and provides the public with truly convenient, one-stop services. In Fujian Province, more than 2,000 provincial and municipal government information systems have been connected to a unified public data aggregation and sharing platform. The two-tier “1+10” public data sharing system at both the provincial and city levels offers open access to the public, currently providing more than 40,000 data catalogues and over 6,500 data interfaces, and supporting nearly 150 million downloads. This has essentially achieved full integration of government information systems and comprehensive aggregation of public data across the province. Cities such as Changsha and Chengdu are also actively exploring the use of large language models in urban governance, leveraging AI to deeply analyze and mine urban operation data, thereby improving the precision and refinement of city management.

　　Today, as government data becomes the key to enhancing administrative efficiency and optimizing public services, it is also exerting a profound influence on government governance philosophies and approaches. Looking ahead, the release and implementation of the Regulations present a valuable opportunity to further advance the secure and efficient sharing of government data and fully unlock the value of this strategic resource. By improving supporting systems and standard frameworks, accelerating the application of emerging technologies in data-sharing scenarios, and continuously enhancing the quality and effectiveness of data-sharing efforts, we can push this work to new heights. At the same time, it is essential to strengthen oversight and protection throughout the entire data lifecycle and rigorously enforce data security responsibilities for all parties involved in data sharing. Only by doing so can we truly realize the full potential of government data sharing and accelerate the development of a digital government.