Digital News

　　In today’s world, the digital economy is increasingly becoming a critical force in reordering global production factors and reshaping the global competitive landscape. Accelerating the development of a national data infrastructure that aligns with the growth of new quality productive forces is not only an effective way for China to overcome the challenges in building a data element market and unlock the potential value of data elements, but also a strategic move to drive high-quality development and secure new advantages in international competition. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) proposed that “New types of infrastructure should be built with appropriate forward planning. Information and communication networks, the national integrated computing network, major science and technology infrastructure, and other key systems should be further developed and used intensively and efficiently,” and “We should advance the Digital China Initiative.” During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must focus on the goals of building Digital China, accelerate the coordinated development of the national data infrastructure, smooth the flow of data, promote the large-scale circulation of data resources, foster the development of data applications, improve data security governance, and provide strong support for high-quality economic and social development.

　　I. Why is it necessary to build and operate national data infrastructure?

　　The value release of data elements, often referred to as the “oil” of the digital economy era, has evolved from driving internal business integration and intelligent and digital transformation to fostering inclusive connectivity and value co-creation across domains, levels, and regions. Compared to traditional factors such as land and capital, data possesses unique characteristics like high mobility, non-consumption, and the ability to integrate. While empowering industrial growth and achieving multiplicative efficiency gains, data also carries multiple attributes, including personal privacy, commercial secrets, and public security. This inherent tension determines that while data elements generate significant positive externalities, they also bring about unavoidable negative externalities. In practice, the development and utilization of data elements depend heavily on mutual trust and the support of secure, controllable infrastructure. As such, building a coordinated, large-scale, efficient, and reliable national data infrastructure is not only essential for overcoming the “impossible triangle” of data security, compliance, and efficient circulation, but also a critical step in unlocking the value of data elements, gaining a competitive edge globally, and breaking through the bottlenecks in data flow.

　　In terms of the development of data element value, the national data infrastructure is a new type of infrastructure designed to unlock the value of data elements. It offers a wide range of services, including data collection, aggregation, transmission, processing, circulation, utilization, operation, and security. It is an integrated system that combines hardware, software, model algorithms, standards, specifications, and mechanism design. In the current context of digital economy development, China’s data element circulation system faces several significant challenges, including a variety of technical approaches, inconsistent construction standards, and difficulties in infrastructure interoperability, all of which severely hinder the full release of data value. To address these challenges, it is urgently necessary to build a national data infrastructure that is horizontally interconnected, vertically integrated, and well-coordinated. This will create a secure and trustworthy data circulation environment, open up new opportunities for co-creating data value, and lay a solid foundation for the market-oriented allocation of data elements and the development of an integrated national data market.

　　From the perspective of gaining international competitiveness, economic development relies on robust infrastructure. Accelerating the development of new infrastructure will help China gain a strategic edge in global competition. In the 1990s, the United States took the lead in launching the National Information Infrastructure initiative, building a global Internet infrastructure. This led to the creation of key standards and technologies, paving the way for the rise of numerous tech giants. The digital economy is now entering a data-driven phase of deeper development, offering China a new strategic opportunity to leapfrog in the data sector. Yet, it is crucial to acknowledge that there remain gaps in core technologies and industrial ecosystem development between China and leading countries like the United States. Building and operating a national data infrastructure will help stimulate innovation, cultivate internationally competitive industry leaders, and foster an ecosystem where data providers, users, and regulators work together. It will also enable China to seize the initiative in the new sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation, turning vast amounts of data and diverse scenarios into a competitive edge in data innovation and national strength.

　　From the perspective of addressing practical development challenges, issues such as “difficulties in accessing and utilizing data,” “challenges in cross-domain processing,” and “obstacles to large-scale data circulation” have become shared problems and pain points in the data sector. Building and operating a national data infrastructure can create a low-cost, efficient, and trustworthy environment for data circulation, addressing concerns about data misuse and resale, and clearing up doubts about unclear data sources, thereby ensuring a stable supply of data. It can also promote interoperability and connectivity across various facilities, breaking down “data silos” and enabling smooth data flow. Moreover, it can open up new opportunities for co-creating data value, supporting real-world business scenarios across industries, driving high-quality development in multiple sectors, and laying the groundwork for effective data utilization. Additionally, it can shift data security from static to dynamic protection, from perimeter security to intrinsic security, and from closed to open environment security, establishing dynamic, end-to-end security measures to protect data throughout its entire lifecycle.

　　II. How should we navigate the relationships in the high-level construction of the national data infrastructure?

　　Since the beginning of the new era, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, significant progress has been made in advancing the Digital China initiative. Over the past three years, the Digital China Development Index has consistently grown at a steady rate of over 10%. By the end of 2025, the total number of 5G base stations nationwide reached 4.838 million, the number of gigabit broadband users hit 240 million households, and China’s total computing power scale ranked second in the world. Building and operating a national data infrastructure is a crucial step in strengthening the foundation for the Digital China initiative. In practice, it is vital to strike a balance between key elements such as top-level design and practical exploration, high-quality supply and diverse demands across various scenarios, technological development and infrastructure construction, as well as planning and operational optimization, to drive the steady improvement of the Digital China initiative.

　　Maintain an organic combination of top-level design and practical exploration. As the national data infrastructure is still in its early stages, it’s essential to align national priorities with local capabilities and encourage positive interactions between a unified national strategy and local pilot programs. This approach will help integrate the leadership of top-level design with the flexibility of practical innovation, shaping a new framework of seamless interaction and effective coordination at all levels. At the top-level design stage, it is crucial to define the concept, vision, and objectives for the development of data infrastructure. A systematic approach should be adopted to outline key tasks, technical approaches, and institutional frameworks, guiding regions, industries, and sectors to collaborate effectively in the construction and operation of data infrastructure. On the practical exploration side, it is vital to unlock the full innovative potential at the grassroots level, actively exploring and developing solutions tailored to diverse application scenarios. By identifying and creating a range of representative and exemplary data infrastructure projects and best practices, successful experiences can be standardized and institutionalized, ensuring that grassroots efforts contribute to the successful implementation of top-level design.

　　Maintain a dynamic balance between high-quality supply and diverse demands across various scenarios. Supply and demand form a dialectical relationship that is both contradictory and interdependent. Without demand for application, data supply cannot be realized; without a high-quality data supply, the data needs of industries cannot be fulfilled. On the supply side, the national data infrastructure should be developed and operated to integrate multi-source data, creating a comprehensive, dynamically updated nationwide data “ledger.” This will enable the efficient circulation of data elements across levels, regions, systems, departments, and sectors. On the demand side, China should capitalize on its vast market advantages, focusing on the forefront of industrial development and key technological breakthroughs. Priority should be given to emerging sectors and new tracks, high-value niche opportunities, and integrated cross-regional, cross-sector scenarios. Efforts should focus on unlocking these opportunities, conducting pilot-scale tests, and exploring new business models to ensure a precise alignment of supply and demand and promote collaborative development. This will drive both the maximization of benefits and the optimization of efficiency in the allocation of data element resources.

　　Promote the coordinated development of data technologies and infrastructure.According to the rules of technological development, major technological breakthroughs, through continuous iteration and practical application, ultimately drive the upgrade and transformation of infrastructure systems. Currently, a range of data technologies and applications has emerged in China across various data development and utilization scenarios. These include privacy-preserving computation technologies that are usable yet invisible, auditable and traceable blockchain technologies, trusted data spaces that enable data exchange and value co-creation, data fields supporting multi-scenario data circulation and utilization, the Data Switching Service Network (DSSN) enabling extensive connectivity, and data components for standardized data processing and production, among others. However, in line with the requirements for high-quality development, China still faces challenges in data development and utilization, including low computational efficiency, high resource consumption, and high operational costs. These constraints hinder the secure, large-scale circulation of data, making it imperative to establish standardized frameworks and coordinate efforts to build a new type of infrastructure that supports the efficient allocation of data elements.

　　Maintain a dual focus on the strategic planning and operational optimization of the national data infrastructure. The construction and operation of the national data infrastructure constitute an interdependent, dynamically evolving system that is an organic whole, much like the birth and growth of a living organism. It is essential not only to ensure a solid foundation but also to foster robust growth and long-term vitality. During the construction phase, industry- and region-specific data infrastructure should constitute the core of the national data infrastructure, with enterprise-level infrastructure as a key component. Financing mechanisms, such as direct fiscal investment, special bond financing, and social capital participation, should be employed to ensure precise supply-demand matching and convenient delivery, thereby driving the transformation of data elements from a mere resource into a valuable asset. During the operational phase, market principles should guide practice, with clearly defined responsibilities for construction, operation, and regulatory entities. It is also essential to explore sustainable operational models and incentive mechanisms for the national data infrastructure, improve the pricing system for infrastructure services, and use pricing levers to drive a profound leap from simple connectivity of data resources to the creation of tangible value.

　　III. What approaches can be taken to advance the construction and operation of the national data infrastructure?

　　In response to new development circumstances and tasks, in the construction and operation of the national data infrastructure, strategic direction should be anchored through top-level design, key plans implemented via project-driven initiatives, the interconnectivity foundation reinforced through standards, practical bottlenecks addressed through pilot programs, coordinated development fostered through ecosystem collaboration, and international engagement expanded through openness and cooperation. Efforts should focus on building a modern data circulation system aligned with market principles, accelerating the market-oriented development of data elements, and providing both technical and material support for the growth of the digital economy and the Digital China initiative.

　　Optimize the strategic planning and deployment of the national data infrastructure. The Guidelines for National Data Infrastructure Construction sets out a three-step approach to advancing data infrastructure construction: Over a period of roughly two to three years from 2024 to 2026, extensive pilot experiments for diverse technical approaches will be conducted across select regions, industries, and sectors, and the top-level design of the national data infrastructure will be simultaneously completed; By 2027-2028, a data infrastructure supporting large-scale circulation and interoperability will be established, achieving basic coverage across major and medium-sized cities nationwide; By 2029, the main structure of the national data infrastructure will be largely completed, and the construction and operation system and mechanism of the national data infrastructure will be basically established, ensuring that the development of the national data infrastructure is closely aligned with national development strategies. Looking toward the 15th Five-Year Plan, efforts should be made to accelerate the planning and deployment of the national data infrastructure, prioritize the efficient circulation and utilization of data, coordinate the integrated development of cloud, network, data, and computing resources, deploy industry- and region-level data infrastructure in a phased manner, and promote seamless integration and mutual trust among industry, regional, and enterprise-level data infrastructure.

　　Fully leverage the guiding role of major projects.The construction of major projects serves as a powerful lever for implementing the strategic plan for data infrastructure and ensuring its efficient operation, playing a key role in integrating resources, guiding investment, and setting exemplary standards. Efforts should be made to further increase financial support from the central government, raising both the scale and proportion of funding, with a focus on supporting a group of foundational, public-interest, and strategic data infrastructure projects. This will drive coordinated development at the local and industry levels and accelerate the establishment of a convenient, efficient, self-reliant, secure, and internationally leading data infrastructure system. Regions and departments should be encouraged to strengthen coordination in planning and deployment, funding allocation, and research projects, while establishing and improving cross-departmental and cross-level mechanisms for integrated advancement. At the same time, social capital should be actively guided to participate in the construction and operation of the national data infrastructure, accelerating the establishment of a development model characterized by government guidance, market leadership, and multi-party collaboration.

　　Strengthen the formulation of standards for the national data infrastructure.Currently, data standardization efforts are still in their early stages, facing challenges such as an incomplete system architecture and limited cross-sector coordination. It is therefore essential to leverage the National Technical Committee 609 on Data of Standardization Administration of China as a platform, focusing on the construction of data infrastructure, to accelerate the development and ongoing refinement of a national data infrastructure standards framework. This framework should be comprehensive, well-structured, and focused on key priorities, providing technical guidance to ensure the secure and efficient circulation of the national data infrastructure. From a construction standpoint, the focus should be on developing engineering standards, including technical architecture, overall requirements, and interface specifications, to ensure that infrastructure construction is consistent and compliant. From an operational standpoint, standards should be established for process standardization, metering and billing, and performance management, enhancing the efficiency and transparency of infrastructure operations. From a security standpoint, standards should be developed for monitoring and early warning, situational awareness, and emergency response, creating a comprehensive, multi-layered security protection system.

　　Advance pilot programs for the national data infrastructure.At present, multiple technical approaches, including data fields and trusted data spaces, are still being explored in parallel and have yet to converge, leaving a significant gap before data infrastructure can be deployed at scale and applied systematically. Pilot programs should be launched first, using trials to guide construction and effectively linking the critical pathways of data infrastructure to enable coordinated operations nationwide. It is crucial to scientifically connect two batches of pilot programs, ensuring both continuity and innovation, while testing the maturity of technologies, the effectiveness of application scenarios, the applicability of standards, and the alignment of institutional arrangements. It is necessary to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of pilot programs, select and identify exemplary cases, and determine common solutions and innovative models that are replicable and scalable, while promptly promoting validated policies and best practices across the country. Enterprises and research institutions should be encouraged to increase R&D investment, accelerate the development of key technologies for data circulation and utilization, and advance the commercialization of major achievements, while strengthening the promotion of outcomes to generate a wider ripple effect.

　　Promote the development of a national data infrastructure ecosystem. The construction and operation of the national data infrastructure is a complex, systemic endeavor that requires building consensus and fostering coordinated action among all stakeholders, thus accelerating the creation of an open and innovative ecosystem led by the government, supported by industry collaboration, and driven by enterprise participation. It is crucial to strengthen the capabilities of data infrastructure service providers, support diverse stakeholders in data product development, technical service provision and management, and facilitate technology exchange, resource sharing, and the commercialization of achievements to cultivate a sustainable and healthy market ecosystem. Industry associations should serve as “adhesives,” industrial alliances as “connectors,” and professional think tanks as “idea incubators,” thereby generating a powerful collective force to advance the construction and operation of data infrastructure.

　　Expand international cooperation in the national data infrastructure. Against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving global digital governance landscape, advancing international cooperation in data infrastructure is a strategic approach to addressing shared challenges. Collaboration should be tailored to local conditions, leveraging regional advantages and establishing high-level international platforms for the digital economy. Efforts should focus on promoting international cooperation across areas such as data infrastructure, high-quality datasets and corpora, and computing facilities. Local governments and enterprises should be actively supported in innovating cross-border data models and developing infrastructure to enable cross-border data flows. It is essential to address the digitalization needs of Belt and Road and BRICS countries, harness technological expertise to advance digital transformation cooperation, and establish a new benchmark for integrating the digital and real economies. Free trade zones should fully utilize negative lists to cultivate distinctive data industries, supporting China’s digital economic transformation and high-level opening-up. In addition, it is also crucial to actively engage in standardization efforts under international organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), promoting the adoption of data infrastructure technical standards as international standards and contributing China’s expertise to global data infrastructure development.  Furthermore, it is important to strengthen the development of disciplines related to the digital economy and to explore the establishment of multilateral and bilateral talent training and exchange centers. These centers would facilitate personnel mobility among education and research institutions, building a long-term “bridge of connectivity” for sustained international cooperation.