The National Data Administration (NDA) said the zones would be established in Beijing, Zhejiang, Anhui and other regions. The initiative encourages select local governments to spearhead efforts “in nurturing data-related market entities and expanding the data market”, according to the state broadcaster CCTV.
The zones also intend to “unlock the potential of integrating the real economy with the digital economy”, the CCTV report said.
According to CCTV, China had already “established a comprehensive data industry chain”, home to over 190,000 data-related enterprises. The sector’s market size had surpassed 2 trillion yuan ($US278.4 billion), with the figure projected to rise to 7.5 trillion yuan by 2030, according to the state broadcaster.
A three-year action plan covering 2024 to 2026, released by 17 government agencies, including the NDA, aims to double the volume of data transactions and create over 300 exemplary application scenarios to leverage the multiplier effects of data across sectors.
