An auto-pilot vehicle is displayed at the 2nd Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian province, May 5, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
China's digital economy reached 31.3 trillion yuan ($4.6 trillion) in 2018, accounting for 34.8 percent of the country's total GDP, according to a report released by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Monday.
Unveiled at the ongoing 2nd Digital China Summit in eastern China's city of Fuzhou, the report shows that the country's innovation system was continuously improved, as the outstanding loans of China's enterprises on science and technology stood at 3.53 trillion yuan at the end of last year.
Digital economy has fostered and strengthened the country's new drivers of development, with 31.63 trillion yuan of e-commerce trade volume and over 9 trillion yuan of online retail sales last year, as well as more than 600 million users of online payment, according to the report.
The report also shows that the added value of the country's manufacturing industry increased by 11.7 percent in 2018.
Moreover, data resources have become a core factor behind the development of digital economy, and information consumption has become a strong driving force for domestic demand and economic growth, according to the report.
2019-05-07CHINADAILY
An auto-pilot vehicle is displayed at the 2nd Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian province, May 5, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
China's digital economy reached 31.3 trillion yuan ($4.6 trillion) in 2018, accounting for 34.8 percent of the country's total GDP, according to a report released by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Monday.
Unveiled at the ongoing 2nd Digital China Summit in eastern China's city of Fuzhou, the report shows that the country's innovation system was continuously improved, as the outstanding loans of China's enterprises on science and technology stood at 3.53 trillion yuan at the end of last year.
Digital economy has fostered and strengthened the country's new drivers of development, with 31.63 trillion yuan of e-commerce trade volume and over 9 trillion yuan of online retail sales last year, as well as more than 600 million users of online payment, according to the report.
The report also shows that the added value of the country's manufacturing industry increased by 11.7 percent in 2018.
Moreover, data resources have become a core factor behind the development of digital economy, and information consumption has become a strong driving force for domestic demand and economic growth, according to the report.
2019-05-07CHINADAILY
Visitors watch a robot at an exhibition of China's progress in digital sectors in Fuzhou, Fujian province, on Monday. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/China Daily]
More efforts are needed to make breakthroughs in core technologies, advance information infrastructure construction and provide further impetus to the digital transformation of industries, said a senior official at the Second Digital China Summit, which opened in Fuzhou, Fujian province, on Monday.
Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, called for more work to accelerate the research and development of 5G, as well as promote the building and application of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System.
Huang said achieving breakthroughs in core technologies should be the top priority, with innovation fully pursued and intellectual property rights better protected.
He underscored the importance of information technology to the country and people, and called for propelling the development of cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence and the industrial internet in a bid to advance the building of a digital China and a smart society.
He also said more work is needed to promote the integration and sharing of information resources between urban and rural areas to narrow digital gaps and unleash the vitality of digital sectors.
Zhuang Rongwen, head of the Cyberspace Administration of China, said enterprises are being encouraged to ramp up investments and make breakthroughs in core technologies, and to make full use of international innovative resources.
Zhuang also called for speeding up the commercialization of 5G and the deployment of the Internet Protocol version 6 network, as well as pushing forward the digital economy so as to cultivate new driving forces and promote high-quality development.
China's tech heavyweights said the digital economy has become a driving force behind economic growth, and internet companies should concentrate on making breakthroughs in core technologies.
"The country is narrowing the gap with developed countries, especially in autonomous driving, cooperative vehicle-infrastructure systems and intelligent transportation. We started a little late, but our pace is faster and our potential is bigger," said Robin Li, chairman and CEO of leading Chinese search engine Baidu Inc.
He noted that AI will have an impact on the internet and China should firmly grasp the historic opportunities of AI, and the country's efforts in technological innovations will begin gradually changing the world.
Pony Ma, chairman and CEO of Tencent Holdings Ltd, said the e-government is becoming the driving force for construction of a digital China and high-quality social and economic development, and internet firms should consolidate basic research and focus on making breakthroughs in core technologies.
China's digital economy reached 31.3 trillion yuan ($4.6 trillion) last year, which accounted for 34.8 percent of its GDP in 2018.
2019-05-07CHINADAILY
Visitors watch a robot at an exhibition of China's progress in digital sectors in Fuzhou, Fujian province, on Monday. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/China Daily]
More efforts are needed to make breakthroughs in core technologies, advance information infrastructure construction and provide further impetus to the digital transformation of industries, said a senior official at the Second Digital China Summit, which opened in Fuzhou, Fujian province, on Monday.
Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, called for more work to accelerate the research and development of 5G, as well as promote the building and application of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System.
Huang said achieving breakthroughs in core technologies should be the top priority, with innovation fully pursued and intellectual property rights better protected.
He underscored the importance of information technology to the country and people, and called for propelling the development of cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence and the industrial internet in a bid to advance the building of a digital China and a smart society.
He also said more work is needed to promote the integration and sharing of information resources between urban and rural areas to narrow digital gaps and unleash the vitality of digital sectors.
Zhuang Rongwen, head of the Cyberspace Administration of China, said enterprises are being encouraged to ramp up investments and make breakthroughs in core technologies, and to make full use of international innovative resources.
Zhuang also called for speeding up the commercialization of 5G and the deployment of the Internet Protocol version 6 network, as well as pushing forward the digital economy so as to cultivate new driving forces and promote high-quality development.
China's tech heavyweights said the digital economy has become a driving force behind economic growth, and internet companies should concentrate on making breakthroughs in core technologies.
"The country is narrowing the gap with developed countries, especially in autonomous driving, cooperative vehicle-infrastructure systems and intelligent transportation. We started a little late, but our pace is faster and our potential is bigger," said Robin Li, chairman and CEO of leading Chinese search engine Baidu Inc.
He noted that AI will have an impact on the internet and China should firmly grasp the historic opportunities of AI, and the country's efforts in technological innovations will begin gradually changing the world.
Pony Ma, chairman and CEO of Tencent Holdings Ltd, said the e-government is becoming the driving force for construction of a digital China and high-quality social and economic development, and internet firms should consolidate basic research and focus on making breakthroughs in core technologies.
China's digital economy reached 31.3 trillion yuan ($4.6 trillion) last year, which accounted for 34.8 percent of its GDP in 2018.
2019-05-07CHINADAILY
An exhibition showcasing China's transformation into a digitalized nation opened on Sunday in Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian province, on the sidelines of the second Digital China Summit.
The exhibition, covering an area of 62,000 square meters, attracted a total of 452 businesses and government departments, who showcased their latest accomplishments in e-governance, digital economy, industrial internet, artificial intelligence, and smart city development.
Digital technology such as 5G networks, facial recognition, driverless vehicles, and delivery robots attracted a lot of attention at the fair, which is slated to run until May 9.
The summit, which will be held from May 6 to 8, will serve as a platform for China's policies on IT development, showcasing e-government and digital economy achievements and facilitating theoretical and practical discussions on building a digital China.
China's digital economy was valued at 31.3 trillion yuan in 2018, accounting for 34.8 percent of the nation's GDP, according to a recent report released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology. The figure represents a year-on-year growth of 20.9 percent, the report said.
Driverless vehicles displayed at the ongoing second Digital China Exposition in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian province. [Photo by Xiang Wenjian/chinadaily.com.cn]
China Construction Bank service robots displayed at the ongoing second Digital China Exposition in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian province. [Photo by Xiang Wenjian/chinadaily.com.cn]
2019-05-07CHINADAILY
An exhibition showcasing China's transformation into a digitalized nation opened on Sunday in Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian province, on the sidelines of the second Digital China Summit.
The exhibition, covering an area of 62,000 square meters, attracted a total of 452 businesses and government departments, who showcased their latest accomplishments in e-governance, digital economy, industrial internet, artificial intelligence, and smart city development.
Digital technology such as 5G networks, facial recognition, driverless vehicles, and delivery robots attracted a lot of attention at the fair, which is slated to run until May 9.
The summit, which will be held from May 6 to 8, will serve as a platform for China's policies on IT development, showcasing e-government and digital economy achievements and facilitating theoretical and practical discussions on building a digital China.
China's digital economy was valued at 31.3 trillion yuan in 2018, accounting for 34.8 percent of the nation's GDP, according to a recent report released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology. The figure represents a year-on-year growth of 20.9 percent, the report said.
Driverless vehicles displayed at the ongoing second Digital China Exposition in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian province. [Photo by Xiang Wenjian/chinadaily.com.cn]
China Construction Bank service robots displayed at the ongoing second Digital China Exposition in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian province. [Photo by Xiang Wenjian/chinadaily.com.cn]
2019-05-07CHINADAILY
A smart cup is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements.
2018-04-22
A smart cup is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements.
2018-04-22
A driverless delivery car is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements.
2018-04-22
A driverless delivery car is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements.
2018-04-22
A smart wearable cellphone is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements.
2018-04-22
A smart wearable cellphone is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements.
2018-04-22
A D/A converter for 5G communication is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements.
2018-04-22
A D/A converter for 5G communication is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements.
2018-04-22
A chip made by a Fuzhou-based tech firm displays during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 22, 2018.
Chinese companies well placed to offer solutions tailored to AI, cloud-based IoT
Artificial intelligence and the cloud-based internet of things are two major areas where China's homegrown chips have a good chance of competing with global players, industry experts said.
"In these two areas, we are roughly at the same position compared with the United States," said Zhang Jianfeng, chief technology officer of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
The remarks came after the internet giant announced on Friday its decision to buy out local chipmaker Hangzhou C-Sky Microsystems to help boost the nation's self-sufficiency in the sector.
"In light of the ongoing intelligence wave, companies who own enough data and run crucial AI-backed applications would have a competitive edge in producing smart chips," Zhang said.
Founded in 2001, C-Sky claims to be the only embedded CPU volume provider in China with its own instruction set architecture. The company has thus far shipped 700 million chips globally, said Li Chunqiang, the firm's vice-general manager.
According to Zhang, chips require constant technological updates as application scenarios evolve and expand over time. But industry heavyweights, such as Intel, need to take technological adaptability into consideration when designing new generations of chips, which could be a drag on efficiency.
"Therefore, latecomers such as Alibaba could circumvent legacies in traditional chipmaking to come up with an alternative solution tailored to the cloud-based IT environment. It's a new opportunity for Chinese companies," he said.
"Thanks to Alibaba's rich experience in application scenarios, we are in a good position to deeply integrate technology with real-life industrial needs to take chip design to the next level," said C-Sky's Li.
Besides, China's smart city initiatives, in which public utility facilities from water meters to parking lots are connected to the internet, are fueling the speedy rollout of smart chips, Zhang noted.
Experts said China should build its strength in chips used for neural network processing, which can be used in AI applications like image video analysis, machine learning and other scenarios.
"This type of chip is as important as the (traditional) semiconductor chip," said Han Yinhe, a professor at the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
It is because many real-world AI applications－from recognizing objects in images to understanding human speech－require a combination of different kinds of neural networks with different numbers of layers.
According to a national action plan on AI from 2018 to 2020, China has set a target to be able to mass produce neural network processing chips, robots that will make accomplishing daily tasks easier for disabled people, and machine learning that will help radiologists read X-ray scans.
Compared with previous transformational stages in information technology, China is riding the current AI wave at a fast speed, with chips being the critical technology to promote such development, said Yin Shouyi, an associate professor of microelectronics at Tsinghua University.
"China needs advanced hardware to bolster its pledge to become an innovator and world leader in AI," Yin said. "Chinese companies' devotion to the R&D of chips is conducive to its indigenous development."
"We need to get well prepared," Alibaba's Zhang said. "If we don't invest now, we are going to feel insecure regardless of resources, technology and efficiency in just a few years."
2018-04-24China Daily
A chip made by a Fuzhou-based tech firm displays during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 22, 2018.
Chinese companies well placed to offer solutions tailored to AI, cloud-based IoT
Artificial intelligence and the cloud-based internet of things are two major areas where China's homegrown chips have a good chance of competing with global players, industry experts said.
"In these two areas, we are roughly at the same position compared with the United States," said Zhang Jianfeng, chief technology officer of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
The remarks came after the internet giant announced on Friday its decision to buy out local chipmaker Hangzhou C-Sky Microsystems to help boost the nation's self-sufficiency in the sector.
"In light of the ongoing intelligence wave, companies who own enough data and run crucial AI-backed applications would have a competitive edge in producing smart chips," Zhang said.
Founded in 2001, C-Sky claims to be the only embedded CPU volume provider in China with its own instruction set architecture. The company has thus far shipped 700 million chips globally, said Li Chunqiang, the firm's vice-general manager.
According to Zhang, chips require constant technological updates as application scenarios evolve and expand over time. But industry heavyweights, such as Intel, need to take technological adaptability into consideration when designing new generations of chips, which could be a drag on efficiency.
"Therefore, latecomers such as Alibaba could circumvent legacies in traditional chipmaking to come up with an alternative solution tailored to the cloud-based IT environment. It's a new opportunity for Chinese companies," he said.
"Thanks to Alibaba's rich experience in application scenarios, we are in a good position to deeply integrate technology with real-life industrial needs to take chip design to the next level," said C-Sky's Li.
Besides, China's smart city initiatives, in which public utility facilities from water meters to parking lots are connected to the internet, are fueling the speedy rollout of smart chips, Zhang noted.
Experts said China should build its strength in chips used for neural network processing, which can be used in AI applications like image video analysis, machine learning and other scenarios.
"This type of chip is as important as the (traditional) semiconductor chip," said Han Yinhe, a professor at the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
It is because many real-world AI applications－from recognizing objects in images to understanding human speech－require a combination of different kinds of neural networks with different numbers of layers.
According to a national action plan on AI from 2018 to 2020, China has set a target to be able to mass produce neural network processing chips, robots that will make accomplishing daily tasks easier for disabled people, and machine learning that will help radiologists read X-ray scans.
Compared with previous transformational stages in information technology, China is riding the current AI wave at a fast speed, with chips being the critical technology to promote such development, said Yin Shouyi, an associate professor of microelectronics at Tsinghua University.
"China needs advanced hardware to bolster its pledge to become an innovator and world leader in AI," Yin said. "Chinese companies' devotion to the R&D of chips is conducive to its indigenous development."
"We need to get well prepared," Alibaba's Zhang said. "If we don't invest now, we are going to feel insecure regardless of resources, technology and efficiency in just a few years."
2018-04-24China Daily
A self-driving bus undergoes a trial run during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou, Fujian province, on Sunday.
Xi's speech shows China's foresight in developing its online industry
Business executives attending the first Digital China Summit in Fuzhou are optimistic about China's growing role as a leading internet power, which is particularly driven by the government's open attitude and supporting policies.
Guo Wei, chairman of Digital China Holdings Ltd, one of the largest integrated information technology services providers in China, said President Xi Jinping's speech, at a weekend conference on the work of cybersecurity and informatization in Beijing, showed the government's awareness of the importance of cybersecurity and information security.
"The government is using economic, legal, technological and other means to manage the network and informatization. For the foreseeable future, the cyberspace environment will be improved and the industry development boosted."
Xi made the speech right before the first Digital China Summit kicked off on Sunday. That gathering, which will last to Tuesday, is part of China's larger efforts to further integrate the digital economy with the real economy.
Yao Jinbo, founder and CEO of 58.com, a major Chinese online marketplace operator, said that Xi's words on cybersecurity and informatization were "impressive", especially by emphasizing that efforts should be made to make sectors including agriculture more digitalized, smart, and internet-powered.
"As an internet company focused on people's livelihoods, we deeply agree that there is huge demand for informatization in rural areas. We have promoted digitalized projects to over 10,000 villages and towns in 31 provinces, regions and municipalities as of March this year," Yao said.
"We will continue to promote the digitalization of agriculture to help revitalize rural economy and achieve agricultural modernization," he added.
Another key message from the conference is to endeavor to make breakthroughs in core information technologies, said Chen Tao, the rotating president of iFlytek Co Ltd, a leading Chinese artificial intelligence company.
"I was impressed on promoting breakthroughs of core technologies in the field of information. I believe only by these means can we gain key momentum and be at the forefront in the global competition."
Xi's words were also seen as a signal to encourage companies to continue incorporating advanced technologies including big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality into the products, said Xiong Li, CEO of NetDragon Websoft Inc, China's leading online gaming and education developer.
"For a Fujian-based tech company, President Xi's speech is inspiring. We will leverage more technologies into the global education market and beef up our global presence to help improve the country's strength in cyberspace."
2018-04-23China Daily
A self-driving bus undergoes a trial run during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou, Fujian province, on Sunday.
Xi's speech shows China's foresight in developing its online industry
Business executives attending the first Digital China Summit in Fuzhou are optimistic about China's growing role as a leading internet power, which is particularly driven by the government's open attitude and supporting policies.
Guo Wei, chairman of Digital China Holdings Ltd, one of the largest integrated information technology services providers in China, said President Xi Jinping's speech, at a weekend conference on the work of cybersecurity and informatization in Beijing, showed the government's awareness of the importance of cybersecurity and information security.
"The government is using economic, legal, technological and other means to manage the network and informatization. For the foreseeable future, the cyberspace environment will be improved and the industry development boosted."
Xi made the speech right before the first Digital China Summit kicked off on Sunday. That gathering, which will last to Tuesday, is part of China's larger efforts to further integrate the digital economy with the real economy.
Yao Jinbo, founder and CEO of 58.com, a major Chinese online marketplace operator, said that Xi's words on cybersecurity and informatization were "impressive", especially by emphasizing that efforts should be made to make sectors including agriculture more digitalized, smart, and internet-powered.
"As an internet company focused on people's livelihoods, we deeply agree that there is huge demand for informatization in rural areas. We have promoted digitalized projects to over 10,000 villages and towns in 31 provinces, regions and municipalities as of March this year," Yao said.
"We will continue to promote the digitalization of agriculture to help revitalize rural economy and achieve agricultural modernization," he added.
Another key message from the conference is to endeavor to make breakthroughs in core information technologies, said Chen Tao, the rotating president of iFlytek Co Ltd, a leading Chinese artificial intelligence company.
"I was impressed on promoting breakthroughs of core technologies in the field of information. I believe only by these means can we gain key momentum and be at the forefront in the global competition."
Xi's words were also seen as a signal to encourage companies to continue incorporating advanced technologies including big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality into the products, said Xiong Li, CEO of NetDragon Websoft Inc, China's leading online gaming and education developer.
"For a Fujian-based tech company, President Xi's speech is inspiring. We will leverage more technologies into the global education market and beef up our global presence to help improve the country's strength in cyberspace."
2018-04-23China Daily
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