Cangshan Intelligent Industrial Park is an integral component of the Science and Technology Innovation Corridor.

The seventh Digital China Summit, being held on May 24-25 in Fuzhou, Fujian province, is jointly hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, National Data Bureau, the State Internet Information Office, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, and the Fujian provincial government.

Summit focus

With its abundant natural resources, Fuzhou stands as a beacon of opportunity and progress. Today marks the inauguration of the seventh Digital China Summit, and this vibrant city, renowned for its beauty, extends a warm invitation to friends from diverse backgrounds to partake in this digital gathering, forging a path toward a brighter future for Digital China.

The theme of this summit is "Unlocking the Value of Data Elements and Developing New Quality Productivity". The overall plan focuses on data as a new production factor, leveraging the amplification, superposition, and multiplication effects of data elements; on solidifying the two foundations of digital infrastructure and data resource system, strengthening high-level digital support; and on new generation digital technologies to promote empowering economic and social development.

The summit features an opening ceremony, main forum, sub-forums, and the Digital China Innovation Competition, along with on-site experience zones. Concurrently, there will be special activities and professional workshops showcasing the following characteristics:

Greater emphasis on professional authority. National ministries and authoritative institutions will release a series of digital development policies and research reports, setting the direction for Digital China construction. The summit will focus on key areas of Digital China construction, convene a series of professional workshops, and support the development of new quality productivity.

Increased focus on serving enterprises. The proportion of corporate guests will increase from the previous 50 percent to over 65 percent, with 12 innovation tracks organized by enterprises and research institutions. Over 4,000 enterprise teams and 12,000 individuals will participate in the competition.

Greater emphasis on digital experiences. The on-site experience zone features four sections, including "Empowering Economic and Social Development" and "Optimizing Development Environment", allowing attendees to experience digital technological achievements firsthand. The summit will utilize cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and the metaverse to design interactive and immersive digital application scenarios on different themes, enabling everyone to personally experience the charm of a digital city.

Stronger focus on dialogue and communication. Hebei, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Guangdong, as main guest provinces, will participate and share experiences in digital provincial construction. With a richer presence of elements from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao, areas such as the Hong Kong on-site experience zone and the cross-Strait integration zone have been set up.

This summit makes digital benefits more accessible to the public. Through multiple innovative events, creating digital districts and enriching digital cultural tourism, digital scenarios are brought closer to the masses, making digital benefits visible, tangible, and providing a better experience.

Moving forward with 'digital'

The Digital China Summit is a significant initiative to implement the "Overall Layout Plan of Digital China Construction" issued by the State Council. It has been held continuously for six sessions since 2018, and over the past six years more than 1,700 experts and scholars have attended, along with over 1,800 exhibiting companies, leading to the signing and implementation of nearly 2,600 digital economic projects. Hosting the Digital China Summit has brought about a broad and profound positive impact on the development of Fuzhou.

Development momentum becoming stronger: Through hosting the summit, Fuzhou has welcomed a large number of leading digital enterprises and digital industrial projects, helping to solidify its digital foundation and strengthen the digital economy. The city has established an information infrastructure network consisting of "three clouds in the sky, two supercomputers in the middle, and two roads on the ground." Remarkable progress has been made in tasks such as building information infrastructure, promoting industrial digitalization, accelerating innovation in industrial Internet, and enhancing network and data security capabilities, resulting in recognition by the State Council for two consecutive years.

Meanwhile, Fuzhou is accelerating amplification of the multiplier effect of big data elements, establishing institutes such as the Southeast Research Institute of Express Big Data and Innovation Institute of Smart Ocean Spatial Basic Data, continuously empowering digital application scenarios in urban transportation, inclusive finance, healthcare, and more. Thanks to these efforts, Fuzhou's digital economy has seen an average annual growth rate of 20.7 percent over the past five years, accounting for over 55 percent of the GDP. Last year, the city was honored with the inaugural Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award).

Openness, vitality more vigorous: Fuzhou has taken multiple measures to develop cross-border e-commerce, launching and operating the "9610" direct purchase import business for cross-border e-commerce. The city has deepened exchanges and cooperation between Fujian and Hong Kong in the digital economy field, establishing the Fuzhou New Area Fujian-Hong Kong Cooperation Consultative Committee to promote projects like data disaster recovery and storage centers in the region. Efforts are being made to build a national-level digital service export base, with companies like NetDragon Websoft Inc leading the way in the education sector, reaching users in over 190 countries and regions, benefiting more than 150 million users.

Livable cities happier: In recent years, Fuzhou has accelerated construction of a "city brain" system, which includes integrated digital platforms for urban operation perception, monitoring and judgment, as well as resource allocation, decision-making and command, intelligent control, and more. This system has played an active role in areas such as the governance of rivers, lakes, and seas, ecological environment protection, transportation, and daily life services, making urban governance more refined and scientific. Projects like the "Smart Water Diversion" and the "5G+ Smart City" won the Energy& Environment Award and the Infrastructure& Buildings Award respectively in the 2021 China Smart City Awards.

Smarter social governance: Fuzhou has enhanced its digital government service center by introducing 191 sets of "efficient handling of one matter" packages, enabling data to flow more efficiently. As a result, the number of residents conducting offline transactions has decreased by approximately 50 percent. Fuzhou's "Immediate Service" initiative, leading the way in government services with the approach of "easy online access, citywide convenience," has been recognized by the State Council and replicated nationwide. Gulou District pioneered the "frontline disposal" work mechanism, earning the "Innovation Award of Urban Governance in China".

Focusing on key areas such as healthcare, education, employment, and elderly care, Fuzhou is establishing a smart, convenient, fair, and inclusive public service system. The city has set up a health and medical big data center to aggregate electronic medical records and health files, enabling interoperability of test results. Furthermore, construction of the "Fuzhou Pension Service Network" enables comprehensive coverage of elderly care services through an online platform.

Fuzhou will continue to promote the important concepts and major practices of digital construction. Seizing the opportunity of hosting the seventh Digital China Summit, the city will amplify the summit's effects, make multi-faceted efforts, accelerate the cultivation of new quality productive forces, and strive to build a national pilot zone for innovative development of the digital economy. This effort aims to drive Fuzhou towards sustainable and high-quality development.

Data Source: Secretariat of the Organizing Committee of the Digital China Summit

The "Weather Elf" meteorological early warning service digital intelligent platform.

Straits Nebula Intelligent Manufacturing Base.

A member of the NetDragon Websoft Inc staff wears VR glasses while introducing virtual experiments for primary and secondary schools.

Fujian Artificial Intelligence Computing Center is located in the Fuzhou New Area.

Changle Donghu Digital Town.